a & £ 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 



NORWICH: 

PRINTED BY S. WILKIN, UPPER HAYMARSET. 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES : 



CONSISTING OF 



REFLECTIONS AND PRAYERS, 



FOR THE USE OF 



YOUNG PERSONS. 



TO WHICH IS ADDED 



A TREATISE ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. 




BY A LADY. 

%.0GICAL SO^ 



SECOND EDITION. 



LONDON: 



PUBLISHED BY 



ROWLAND HUNTER, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD, 
AND SOLD BY S.WILKIN, NORWICH. 

1825. 



..*^v..., 



TO THE 

REV. CHARLES WELLBELOVED, 

THESE 

DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES 

ARE 

WITH GREAT RESPECT INSCRIBED, 

BY A 
HUMBLE FELLOW-LABOURER 

IN THE CAUSE OF RELIGION. 



PREFACE 



Few works of the kind have been,, I be- 
lieve, so extensively useful as Mr. Well- 
beloved's Devotional Exercises, For many 
years they have been in the hands of the 
rising generation, and are still appreciated 
as highly as when they were first known : 
and I have frequently heard parents, whose 
children had derived benefit from them, wish 
that Exercises for another week had been 
given to the world, as was the promise of 
the author. The public having now waited 
many years, and no second part having ap- 
peared, I have been induced to undertake 
the task of composing one, from a conviction 
of its usefulness. I long feared to enter 
upon an undertaking similar to one which 
had been so successfully completed by my 
predecessor ; but the conviction that simpli- 
city was the chief requisite id this work, dis- 



11 PREFACE. 

pelled my doubts. Being* yet young 1 , I have a 
vivid remembrance of the ideas and feelings 
on devotional subjects which, in early youth, I 
found to be the most impressive, and to excite 
the most powerful emotions, and which are by 
no means the same ideas and feelings which 
produce these effects at a more advanced age. 
Possessing these remembrances, I must be- 
lieve that the young are best fitted to write 
for the young, in most cases where the feel- 
ings and affections are concerned ; and there- 
fore I have written down the thoughts which 
used to present themselves in a natural train 
of reflection, and the prayers which I have 
been accustomed to form, under the guidance 
of able teachers, for my own use. This expla- 
nation will account for the extreme plainness 
and simplicity, both of sentiment and lan- 
guage, which will be observed in this little 
work : but, while I have endeavoured to be 
simple, I have been careful to avoid form- 
ality, than which nothing is more liable to 
chill the kindling fires of devotion in a young 
mind, or to disgust the naturally pure taste 



PREFACE. Ill 



of youth. How far I have succeeded, the 
children, better than the parents, will be able 
to judge : and I request that the judgment 
may be left to themselves. If ideas which, 
through long familiarity, no longer exert a 
powerful influence over the mind of the 
parent, should excite emotion, or awaken 
reflection, in the child, the work will be found 
to fulfil its design, and the parent may be 
convinced of its usefulness; and no slight 
defects,, which may and will be apparent to 
the more mature mind, will materially coun- 
teract its design of promoting serious re- 
flection in my young readers. 

I leave it to be determined by circum- 
stances, at what age these exercises should 
be brought into use. They appear to me, 
however, to be suited to a more advanced 
period than Mr. Wellbeloved's were designed 
for; perhaps for young persons from twelve 
to fifteen; but this is a point which must be 
left to the judgment of the parent. With 
respect to the form and arrangement^ Mr. 
Wellbeloved's plan appeared to me so unex- 



IV PREFACE. 

ceptionable, that I have adopted it in almost 
every particular,, 

The Treatise on the Lord's Supper was 
not intended solely for the use of young 
persons. If I have fulfilled my intentions, 
I have stated arguments which are entitled 
to the consideration of the old as well as the 
young*, who have hitherto excused themselves 
from that attendance which 1 believe to be the 
duty of every Christian. To the close atten- 
tion of all such I submit them, earnestly 
hoping that, by this or any other means, they 
may be induced to take their part in the cele- 
bration of an ordinance productive of such 
lasting advantage and such true gratification. 

Let not parents believe that young persons, 
who are capable of understanding and being 
benefited by these Devotional Exercises, are 
not yet able to understand the duty of attend- 
ing the Communion. There is nothing 
more simple or easy to be understood, in 
the whole system of our religion ; and why 
should not the young be permitted to join in 
a ceremony which is peculiarly fitted to 



PREFACE. V 

touch their feelings, and impress their hearts? 
Why should they not be allowed to testify 
the gratitude which glows in their pure hearts 
towards the Saviour who has offered them 
blessings, the value of which they are fully 
able to appreciate ? Let them early take 
their place in the community of Christians 
assembled round the Lord's table, and let 
them still earlier be convinced of the design 
and utility of this beautiful rite. 

If Christians of any age, or of any profes- 
sion, should be added to the small number of 
communicants by the consideration of the 
arguments contained in this Treatise, it will 
fulfil the design of the work, and afford a 
high satisfaction to the author. 

Norwich, August, 1823. 



SUBJECTS OF THE REFLECTIONS. 



>i M) w morning.— On ihe duties of the Christ- 
ian Sabbath --------- i 

sundav evening.— On habitual devotion - - 8 

MONDAY morning. — On benevolence - - - Ifl 

monda\ evening. — On tin character of the 

\ i' stl - r< i r, John, and Paul - - - - 28 

i [ bsd \ v < mi »i: \ i \(,. ( )n ill. government <>!' tin 

n ii. 1 1 i ------------ 29 

ii bsd iy evening. On dt ath - - - - :u] 

WEDNESDAY MORNING.— On liiimilii \ - - - i:} 

wednbsdai BVENING.— On self-government - .">n 

THURSDAY morning. -On the goodness of God ">7 

rsdav evening. On charitable judgm< ots 

ot otlitis ----------- 35 

i rid n morning. Lov< and I obi di- 

( ace due to J< ras Chi isl ------ 72 

priday bvening.— On the happiness ol a futu 

state ------------ 7u 

S \ H RDAY MORN! NG.— < hi tl 

w oi Idly enjoj dm nts -------- 

SATURDAY evening.— On th( valueoftin M 



REFLECTION. 

SUNDAY MORNING. 

< A day in tli\ courts ii better than .1 thousand, I had rather 
be ■ doorkeeper in the boose of mj God, than to dwell in 
the tent- of wickedi rim Ixxxiv. 10. 

u Audi u in- costonn was, be wool Into the lynagogne on the 
labbatli daj. 1 .uk< h ■ 16. 

Fob what purpose was the Sabbath instil 
AVh\ w as one daj in sei i d set ap irt, .1- it 
from the world .' \n<l whj do we <|nii our usual 
employments on that day, and repair to the bouse 
of God ! T*< 1 ause i1 is the LorcTi day. Ml d tys 
ouirhf to be devoted to the Lord: t > 1 1 1 on tln> I 
.mi especially 1 tiled to five II im praise, and to 
dedicate mj self to 1 1 1- sen i< 1 . I « ell k 
when I am employed in anj interesting pursuit, 
or when I enjoj the recurrence of anj favourite 
pleasures, thej are apt to engross mj thoughts, 
and to call off m\ attention from other pursuits 
or pleasures which do not so freqaenth pn 
themselves to m\ mind. 1 1 « »w much, then, must 
I be in danger <>t fixing mj affections on the 
world and its affairs, if all m\ time be given ap 
to them! God knows this, and has wiselj and 

B 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

benevolently appointed a season when I may seek 
after pleasures which will never fade, instead of 
the transient enjoyments of merely mortal life. 

If this day is set apart for the worship of God, 
and for my own religious improvement, what 
should be my dispositions, and what my conduct? 
I should be grateful for such opportunities of 
advancement in the most valuable species of 
knowledge ; I should remember with joy the 
numberless instances of God's bounty, which it 
has been my lot to experience ; and this remem- 
brance should incite me to worship Him in spirit 
and in truth, to offer Him the homage of the heart, 
the only homage that can be acceptable to Him. 
I must begin by thanking Him for permitting me 
again to witness the return of this period of sacred 
rest : I must employ the leisure afforded by it in 
studying His word, both as contained in the Bible 
and in those books which exemplify its doctrines, 
and will assist in impressing them on my mind. 
I must be especially careful not to read the words 
of truth in a negligent manner, but must diligently 
prepare my mind for dwelling on them with ad- 
vantage, by excluding thoughts of outward objects, 
by previous meditation, and by the remembrance 
of the infinite importance and great solemnity of 
the truths which I seek to impress upon my heart. 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 3 

I am commanded to " search the scriptures," as 
in them are found the words of eternal life; and 
let me, in humility and singleness of heart, receive 
the precepts, and rejoice in the promises, delivered 
through Jesus Christ, and not read them as a task 
appointed for the day, by which the employment 
will be rendered worse than useless. 

A part of my time should also be devoted, if 
possible, to imparting to others, who have not 
enjoyed the same advantages as myself, that know- 
ledge which may make them "wise unto salvation :" 
for surely no leisure can be more usefully spent, 
than in revealing, to the poor and ignorant, the 
light of heavenly truth, and in making them hail 
the return of the Sabbath with the same pleasure 
which I experience. " To the poor the gospel is 
preached," and to them it is, if possible, more 
important than to myself, that the Sunday should 
be distinguished by the acquisition of religious 
knowledge, and the impression of religious truth. 
On this day, more especially, are we reminded 
that all mankind are the children of a common 
Father; all created for the same purpose; all tend- 
ing to the same end ; all heirs of the same immor- 
tality. On this day should all the outward cir- 
cumstances of life be forgotten, in comparison 
"with those in which all have a common interest ; 

b 2 



4 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

and on this day, therefore, should we assist one 
another in the pursuit of what is most valuable, 
as we also would ourselves be assisted. Let it be 
my care, then, by the benevolence of my conduct, 
and the cheerfulness of my temper, to render this 
period of rest a day of happiness to others as well 
as myself. 

While engaged in the publick worship of God, 
may no vain and trifling thoughts intrude on the 
solemn repose of my soul. May no unworthy me- 
ditations usurp the place of those which are my 
duty, and should be my delight, in His holy place. 
Let me join with a pure heart and fervent spirit in 
prayer ; and let the words of wisdom, which are 
addressed to me as well as to others, sink deep 
into my heart, and work in me the peaceable fruits 
of righteousness ! Of all the duties which are this 
day incumbent on me, one of the most difficult, 
and one of the most important, is to exclude un- 
worthy thoughts. But surely there is time enough 
in the six days allotted to worldly employments, 
for all worldly meditations ; and how much is it 
to be lamented, that the short portion which 
should be devoted to the repose of the mind from 
all turbulent cares, should be rendered yet shorter 
by the want of self-control ! Did I properly estim- 
ate the pleasures of devotion, no such difficulty 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 5 

would present itself to me. Did I feel love, joy, 
and peace in believing, no subjects of less delight 
would occupy my mind. Let me, therefore, en- 
deavour to impress my self so deeply and frequently, 
on this day, and every other, with a conviction of 
the boundless power and goodness of God, and of 
the incomparable value of religion, that feelings 
of reverence and love towards my heavenly Father 
may be not only warm, but continual and perma- 
nent. May every thought, word, and action, 
throughout this day, conduce to this end, and then 
indeed it will be blessed to me. 

For many days my thoughts have been chiefly 
occupied with those worldly pursuits which de- 
mand a large share of my attention : let me spend 
this day in meditating on the "vast concerns of 
an eternal world ;" in studying the example and 
precepts of Jesus, and in endeavouring to make 
God my friend, by subduing every inclination 
which can lead me to disobey Him. Let me wor- 
ship in His courts with an humble and thankful 
heart, and strengthen those principles, and con- 
firm those feelings, which shall urge me forward 
in the way of peace and virtue. Let me now be- 
gin the duties of the Sabbath, by asking God to 
assist me in every good purpose. 



b3 



D DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

PRAYER. 

SUNDAY MORNING. 

O thou, the eternal and unchangeable God ! 
whose wisdom, power, and goodness, are infinite, 
deign to accept the humble praises of a grateful 
heart, the adoration of a soul which comprehend- 
eth not thy greatness. Thou hast created the 
heavens and the earth, the mighty sun, which 
giveth light upon the earth ; the moon and stars 
are also thine, All these things shew thy power 
and goodness ; but they shall all perish, and be 
no more, whilst thou shalt endure for ever. The 
world and all that it contains shall pass away, but 
thou shalt remain. And man, the creature of thy 
hand, poor, feeble, sinful man, shall also be im- 
mortal. Blessed be thy name, O Lord ! for thou 
hast given me life; thou hast bestowed on me 
more blessings than I can number ; thou hast 
granted me the power of becoming good and happy 
here; and, above all, thou hast promised that I 
shall live for ever, and hast pointed out to me the 
way to unfading happiness, by the revelation of 
thy gospel. Thou hast set before me a pure and 
perfect example of virtue, and hast bestowed on 
me the means of knowing and doing thy wilL 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 7 

What have I done, that I should be the object of 
such unspeakable bounty? How have I deserved 
that thou shouldest thus shower thy blessings upon 
me? Alas! I have been unworthy of thy favours. I 
have not given my whole heart unto thee. I have 
not continually remembered thy goodness, and 
been thankful unto thee. O Lord ! pardon me, 
I beseech thee. Impress my heart with holy 
gratitude and love. May the comforts I enjoy, 
the gifts of thy hand, never shut my heart against 
thee, and render me forgetful of thy presence. May 
my affections never be fixed on the fleeting things 
of this world ; but may I seek after thy favour, 
which is better than life ; and may I love virtue 
more than all that the world can bestow. May 
thy grace, O Lord! dwell in me, and guide me 
in the way which leadeth to life everlasting. On 
this holy day may I devote myself to thee, and 
gain more knowledge of thy will, and greater 
strength to perform it. 

I ask not these blessings for myself alone, but 
for all mankind. May all men at length be 
enabled to acknowledge thee as their Creator, 
Preserver, and Benefactor ; thy Son Jesus Christ 
as the perfect example of all virtue ; and thy 
goodness as worthy of unceasing and everlasting 
praises. 



8 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

I commit my life, and all that I have, into thy 
hand; knowing that thou wilt do what is best for 
me, and only beseeching- thee that thou wilt render 
me in some measure deserving of thy goodness. 

May the words of my mouth, and the medita- 
tions of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O 
Lord! my strength and my redeemer. Arneo. 



REFLECTION. 

SUNDAY EVENING. 

" Follow after holiness, without which no man can see the 

Lord." 
i6 Whether ye eat, or whether ye drink, or whatsoever ye do, 

do all to the glory of God." 

I have this day entered the house of God. I 
have heard of His wonderful perfections ; of His 
unceasing care of His rational creatures ; of His 
love for them, which He manifested by sending 
His Son Jesus Christ into the world, to reclaim 
them from sin. Have I not received pleasure 
from the conviction of His goodness? and do I 
not feel secure and happy under His guardian 
care I Oh yes ! and why should not the best plea- 
sures I have this day enjoyed be mine for ever? 
The study of His perfections is ever open to me ; 
I am invited to hold communion with Him in 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 9 

prayer; and He has declared that His arm is 
always stretched out to protect the righteous, 
and to deliver them from evil. 

If I accustom my mind to take delight in the 
contemplation of the divine nature, new pleasures 
will continually offer themselves to me. If I 
consider the heavens, the work of His fingers, 
the moon and stars which He hath ordained, I 
shall find elevated enjoyment in the thought of 
His infinite power. If I observe how r all things 
that he hath made depend on one another, and 
work together for the good of the whole, through 
all that part of the vast creation which comes 
within the bound of merely human perception, I 
must be astonished at the wisdom which could 
form and execute such a plan. If I think how 
carefully He has attended to the happiness of 
His creatures ; that He has never caused a want 
without providing a supply ; that He has given to 
the inferiour orders of beings enjoyments suited to 
their capacity for pleasure, and to Man the power 
of becoming happy here, and infinitely so to all 
eternity ; I must not only adore, but love, the Being 
whose beneficence equals His power and wisdom. 
Whatever my eyes behold may remind me of Him ; 
every gift which renders me happy may excite in 
me emotions of love and gratitude. The reflection 



10 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES, 

that He is ever present with me may render me 
secure under all circumstances, and a fund of the 
most pleasing meditation may be ever at my com- 
mand. 

If God had not revealed Himself to us in His 
gospel, I might have feared that a weak insignifi- 
cant creature, like myself, would be beneath His 
notice : would be, as it were, passed over, and 
forgotten, while so many vast designs continually 
require His care. But now no such fears need 
harass me. I now know that He, who formed 
me, watches over me ; is aware of the thoughts 
which now pass through my mind ; and cannot for 
an instant forget me : that, as He loves all the works 
of His hand, He loves me, and will provide for my 
happiness, as long as I strive to deserve His favour. 
Can I then forget Him who ever remembereth me ? 
Can I, who receive all good things from Him, 
enjoy them, without thinking of their Author? 
Can I form friendships with beings, frail and 
sinful as myself, and seek no communion with Him, 
who, if I love Him, will never leave me, nor forsake 
me? Shall I be intent on gathering together the 
luxuries of life, when He can disperse them in a 
moment, or change them into bitter sorrows ? 
Much rather let me make God my friend ; let me 
receive His gifts with gratitude ; let me seek after 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. H 

the heavenly pleasures of devotion, which become 
sweeter as other enjoyments fail. Let me remem- 
ber that God is present, not only while I pay my 
stated devotions to Him, but during every moment 
of my existence. Why then should I confine 
my thoughts of Him to those times ? I continually 
need His assistance in all the little trials and 
temptations which befall me; and His ears are 
ever open to me, and His love is always ready 
to assist me. Let me joyfully thank Him for every 
pleasure, and then the gift will be sanctified to 
me : let me seek His consolations in every sorrow, 
and its bitterness will be assuaged. 

Great as are the delights of devotion in times 
of prosperity, in affliction their value will be in- 
finitely increased. From the portion of sorrow 
which has been my lot, I am aware of the insuffi- 
ciency of worldly comfort. The consolations of 
religion alone are able to relieve the wounded 
heart. While the pursuit of all that this world can 
afford is distasteful and irritating to the mind, 
the reflection that He who made it liable to suf- 
fering is beholding and pitying the grief His 
mercy and wisdom saw fit to inflict, and is able 
and willing to remove it as soon as it has fulfilled 
its end, is a source of unspeakable comfort. I 
know the relief of pouring out a full heart into 



12 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES, 

the bosom of a friend, though that friend can 
only afford sympathy and fallible counsel. How 
great, then, must be the comfort of confiding my 
sorrows to an Almighty friend ! to one whom I 
have loved above all things, in the midst of pro- 
sperity ! I must, like all my fellow-creatures of 
mankind, sometime endure sorrow ; and may these 
consolations then be mine ! Let me increase the 
value of the blessings I now enjoy, by considering 
them as the gifts of a tender Father; and let me 
render my gratitude acceptable to Him, by a 
proper use of them. Let me pray to Him every 
morning, and every evening, for His protection 
and blessing ; and let my thoughts dwell upon 
Him continually during the day. If I always act 
under a conviction of His presence, and with a 
desire of pleasing Him, every thought, and every 
deed, will become an act of devotion. Thus shall 
I cast all my cares upon Him who careth for me ; 
and thus only can I secure to myself the posses- 
sion of peace in this world, and the inheritance of 
joy in that which is to come. 






DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES, 13 

PRAYER, 

SUNDAY EVENING. 

O thou, Almighty and ever-present God ! who 
knowest all the thoughts of my heart, accept, I 
beseech thee, the tribute of sincere gratitude and 
praise, which I now offer unto thee. I know that, 
wherever I go, and whatsoever I do, thou art with 
me. All things that 1 behold are the works of thy 
hand. Thou sustainest me in life, and continually 
watchest over me, to provide for my wants, and 
to shield me from danger. Knowing that thou 
art within me, above me, and around me, may I 
make this knowledge a source of comfort to my- 
self, by deserving thy love. May I not, while 
enjoying the gifts of thy providence, be forgetful 
of the hand by which they are bestowed. May I 
not live without thee in the world ; nor seek after 
those pleasures which war against the soul, and 
which would subject me to thy displeasure. Thou 
hast promised thy grace to those who seek for it 
with sincerity of heart, Oh, then, lift up the light of 
thy countenance upon me, that the darkness of guilt 
may never overshadow me. Let thy love reign in 
my heart, that the desire of sinful pleasures may 
never enter there. May I worship thee in spirit 
and in truth. In the hours of gladness, may I 

c 



14 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES, 

devote my best powers and affections unto thee ; 
for in sorrow there is no help but in thee. At 
every return of this solemn day, may I feel that 
I have advanced in wisdom and goodness, and 
that I am more worthy of being called a follower 
of my blessed Saviour, 

Continue to me, as far as thou shalt see fit, the 
comforts and blessings T now enjoy, especially 
those I most highly prize, the means of improve- 
ment in knowledge and piety. I ask not to be 
exempt from sorrow ; but when it comes, may it 
be borne with meek resignation, and cheerful acqui- 
escence in thy will. May I seek consolation from 
thee, who alone canst alleviate the sorrow thou hast 
caused. Whatever may be my lot, may the plea- 
sures of devotion, and the peace arising from trust 
in thee, be unalloyed by self-reproach, or the 
miseries consequent on sin. May I pass through 
life, supported by thy hand, rejoicing in thy love, 
and relying on the glorious promises of thy gospel ; 
and may the stroke of death, whether it come 
early or late, find me disposed peacefully to surren- 
der my soul into thy hands, who gavest me being, 
and hoping, through thine infinite mercy, to enter 
joyfully into the presence of thy glory, and to taste 
of those pleasures which are at thy right hand 
for evermore. 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 15 

I ask all in the name, and as the disciple, of 
thy son Jesus Christ, through whom I would 
ascribe unto thee all honour and praise for ever. 

Amen. 



REFLECTION. 

MONDAY MORNING. 

" This is ray commandment, That ye love one another, as I 

have loved you." John xv, 12. 
" Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that 

weep." Rom. xii. 15. 

I observe, wherever I direct my view, that 
nothing, in all the vast creation, is made to exist 
alone. All things depend on one another for 
something essential to their existence. The sun, 
and the worlds which circle round it, are balanced 
by other systems, by the power of attraction. On 
this globe we can perceive that the earth could 
not bring forth fruits, without the assistance of the 
sun and the rain. The sun draws up steams and 
vapours from the ground, which fall again in 
showers, and refresh the earth, and enable it to 
produce those stores, which serve for the support 
and delight of the living creatures which inhabit 
it. These animals, in their turn, serve as food for 
one another, and for man. Man, dependent on 

c 2 



16 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

the ranks of beings below him for subsistence, can 
enjoy none of the pleasures and advantages of 
life, without the assistance of his own species. 
As the community of mankind is formed by my 
wise and benevolent Father, different individuals 
are endowed with different powers, inclinations, 
and talents; and thus scarcely a want can arise, 
which some one is not able to supply; and not one 
link in the whole chain of society is wanting. 

By this constitution of things I plainly perceive 
that men are brought into the world, not to live in 
selfish, miserable independence, but to promote 
the happiness of each other. They are all the 
children of a common Parent, and were evidently 
intended to be social beings, and (what it is to be 
hoped they will in time become) a happy commu- 
nity. If I therefore believe this to be the intention 
of my Maker, let me consider what I am to expect 
from my fellow-creatures of mankind, and what 
I owe to them, I know that all blessings proceed 
primarily from God ; but He has given them to me 
by the hands of His creatures : aud I can in no way 
render my gratitude more acceptable to Him, than 
by doing, in my turn, all that I can to promote the 
good of those whom he hath made. I owe my 
support, and the care of my infancy, to those 
parents and friends, who with disinterested kind- 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 17 

ness have brought me up, and rendered me happy 
when I could not reward their care. Even 
now, do I not owe all the comforts of life, of which 
I possess so large a share, to the labours of 
others t And what do I, in my turn, for them ? It 
is but little that I can do; but I may always find 
some, less blessed than myself, whom I can assist 
in time of need: some more ignorant than myself, 
to whom I may impart a portion of knowledge: 
and, were nothing else in my power, there are 
always some, whose joys will be increased by my 
participation, and whose sorrows will be soothed 
by my sympathy. Have I not friends, to whom 
it is my duty to pay kind domestick offices and 
observances? Can I not find, in the abodes of 
sorrow, those whom I may nurse in sickness, 
sooth in distress, or relieve in want? Are there 
not, among the old, some whose passage to the 
grave may be cheered by my respectful attention, 
my forbearance of the failings incident to age, and 
my gratitude for the advice which experience loves 
to give? Are there not, among the young, those 
whom I may benefit by the services of disinterest- 
ed friendship 1 My power of doing thus will 
increase with my years : may the disposition in- 
crease likewise ! 

The most powerful arguments, however, for the 



18 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

practice of benevolence are offered by our holy 
religion, whose chief aim and end is the encou- 
ragement of this virtue : and in proportion to my 
advance in it will be my progress in religion. 
The beloved Son of God was the purest example 
of its perfections; and the tendency of all his 
discourses was to inculcate it. He fed the hungry, 
healed the sick, comforted the sorrowful, encou- 
raged and pardoned the repentant : employing his 
miraculous powers for the good of others, while 
he himself underwent every species of suffering. 
The tenor of his instructions ever was, " Freely 
ye have received, freely give:" "Sell that thou 
hast, and give to the poor:" "Give to him that 
askethof thee:" "Love your enemies, and do good, 
and lend, hoping for nothing again." And in his 
description of the final judgment, benevolence 
appears to be the chief qualification for enjoying 
the happiness of heaven. Great are the rewards, 
also, which he hath promised to the benevolent. 
No less than treasures which nothing can corrupt 
— treasures which increase in proportion to self- 
denial — treasures which fail not, eternal in the 
heavens : the cheering assurance that the merciful 
shall obtain mercy ; the declaration that God 
loveth a cheerful giver; that the alms which are 
given in secret shall be openly acknowledged and 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 19 

recompensed, at the resurrection of the just; and 
above all, the anticipation of that soul-stirring 
invitation to those who have fed the hungry, 
clothed the naked, visited the sick and imprisoned, 
to enter into the enjoyment of the happiness pre- 
pared for them from the foundation of the world. 

In all the works of God, how apparent is His 
fatherly love for His creatures ! None of His 
perfections is more evident; and there is none 
which it is more my duty to imitate. In this re- 
spect I may strive to become perfect, as He is 
perfect. While on earth, I may promote and 
encourage the growth of that blessed disposition, 
the exercise of which will, in all probability, form 
a part of my happiness in another state of being. 
It is reasonable to conclude this, as it is evident 
that those whose whole minds are engrossed by the 
care of their own happiness, are little fitted for 
dwelling in the presence of God, who is love itself; 
of Jesus, who gave himself for us; or of those 
holy men who offered their lives to secure the 
richest and best blessings to mankind. Oh ! surely 
the spirit of love is the noblest and best which can 
dwell in the human heart! It is a portion of God's 
own spirit : it is the mind which was in Christ 
Jesus! 

Oh! noble example of this glorious virtue, let 



20 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

that mind be in me also ! May thy labours, thy 
sufferings, thy strivings to promote the good of all 
men, not be lost upon me ! May they animate 
me to follow in thy steps, to press forward towards 
the goal which thou hast reached, like t ee seek- 
ing no reward but the favour of my God, and the 
love which He will hereafter extend to those whose 
benevolence will no longer be exerted in over- 
coming or alleviating evil, but in promoting the 
iappiness, continually increasing happiness, of 
kindred spirits, through all eternity ! 



PRAYER. 

MONDAY MORNING. 

Almighty God ! the Father of men! to whom 
I owe life, and all its enjoyments, with humble 
gratitude do I bow down before thee, to bless thee 
for thy continued mercies. Thy power called me 
into being; thy goodness preserved me during the 
helpless period of infancy; hath surrounded me 
with all the means of enjoyment and improvement ; 
hath placed me among those who have been care- 
ful of my welfare, and who have taught me to look 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 21 

up to thee as the stiver of all good, and to find 
delight in praising thee. Thanks be to thee, O 
Lord ! for all thy goodness. Without thy pro- 
tecting care, I could not have escaped from dan- 
ger and from death : if thou hadst not granted me 
the tidings of salvation, I had lived in ignorance 
of thee : I had possessed thy gifts without know- 
ing their Author, and had been but little above 
the brutes that perish. If thou hadst not caused 
the light of thy gospel to shine upon me, I had 
had no guide to life everlasting, no hope in death. 
What shall I render unto thee, O Lord ! for all 
thy mercies? What can I do to please thee ? I 
will gratefully enjoy thy gifts ; I will contemplate 
and strive to imitate thy perfections ; I will use 
the powers which thou hast given me for the good 
of others ; I will endeavour to glorify thy gospel, 
by leading a life, holy, harmless, and undefiled. 
Thou hast graciously promised that, if performed 
with a sincere and pure heart, thou wilt accept 
these humble services. O Lord ! grant me thy 
grace to live according to thy will. Assist me to 
overcome pride, vanity, selfishness, and all other 
sinful dispositions. May the same mind be in me, 
which was in Christ Jesus our Lord ; may I be, 
like him, meek, humble, and devout; may I, like 
him, labour continually for the good of mankind : 



22 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

may I, like him, give up all worldly advantages 
which are incompatible with obedience to thee. 
If any offend me, may I exercise his forgiving 
spirit : may I be his faithful follower on earth, and 
at length be thought worthy, by sincere, though 
imperfect obedience, to enter into that happy 
kingdom, where he is seated at thy right hand, 
and where the spirits of the just made perfect 
shall rejoice in thy presence, for ever and ever. 

I thank thee, O my Protector ! that thou hast 
guarded me from danger during the past night, 
and that thou hast permitted me to arise in peace 
this morning. Be with me, and all whom I love, 
I beseech thee, through this day: grant us all that 
is necessary to our well being, and above all, that 
we may spend each moment in thy fear. And 
when we retire to rest this night, may it be with a 
peaceful consciousness of thine approbation, and 
with hearts and minds better fitted for thy service. 

Hear my prayers, O Lord ! and may thy bless- 
ing rest upon us for ever and ever. Amen. 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 23 

i 

REFLECTION. 

MONDAY EVENING. 

"Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou 
me more than these ? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord ; thou 
knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, feed my 
lambs." John. xxi. 15. 

• When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple stand- 
ing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, 
behold thy son ! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy 
mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto 
his own home." John ix. 26, 27. 

" [Paul] is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before 
the Gentiles." Acts ix. 15. 

It is a pleasing reflection, that the gospel not 
only furnishes me with rules for the regulation of 
my conduct, under all circumstances, but also sets 
before me a variety of characters, which may serve 
either as warnings or examples to me. Our 
Saviour himself was the model by which I may 
perceive what perfection I ought to aim at; and 
by the examples of the Apostles I may learn 
that men of various and strong passions, in the 
midst of dangers and temptations, without advan- 
tages of education, were able to overcome the 
world, and to live and die the faithful disciples 
of their glorified master. 



24 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

Peter was a man of impetuous, and, at first, un- 
governed feelings : at one time declaring that Jesus 
was the Christ, the Son of God ; and at another, 
notwithstanding this conviction, meanly denying 
him : at one time declaring that, though all others 
should leave their Lord, yet he would not forsake 
him; and then flying, with the rest, in the moment 
of danger : now wrought upon by terror, to disclaim 
all knowledge of the Saviour, who had offered him 
eternal life : and then melted by the one look 
which Jesus cast upon him, going out and weep- 
ing bitterly : now dismayed and dejected by the 
death of his master, and afterwards animated and, 
as it were, inspired, by the confirmation which 
the resurrection of Christ gave to his doctrine, 
coming forward fearlessly and intrepidly as the wit- 
ness of the life, words and actions of him who was 
despised and rejected of men. This was the 
time when Peter struggled to vanquish his ignoble 
terrors : he seems now to have cast away whatever 
remained of the spirit of worldliness ; he now 
faced a life of danger, and a violent death, and 
never after, but in one single instance, do we 
find a trace of the weaknesses it must have cost 
him so much to surmount, And yet, exalted as were 
his virtues, how great was his humility ! I know 
that the writings of the Evangelist, those of Mark 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 25 

especially, were seen by him, and that lie had the 
power of palliating, if not of concealing, the errors 
of which he had been guilty during the life of 
Jesus, and yet how openly are those errors avowed! 
and what a proof is this of his humility, and zeal 
for the honour of his Lord ! I know that he spent 
his life in promoting the spread of the gospel, and 
at length sealed his testimony with his blood. Let 
me honour his character with all the reverence and 
admiration such intrepid virtue demands! 

The apostle John was a very different character. 
In him, meekness, gentleness, arid benevolence 
abounded. It is a proof how highly these softer 
virtues were esteemed by Jesus, that the apostle 
who possessed them in the greatest degree was 
chiefly distinguished by his love. To his care our 
Saviour consigned his bereaved mother, and well 
did John fulfil his trust, and happy must he have 
been, that his master considered him worthy of 
the charge, We hear little of him after the death 
of Jesus, except that he also underwent his share 
of suffering, that he inculcated and practised the 
love of God and of mankind, and that a peculiar 
and glorious revelation was made to him in his old 
age. 

The most striking and distinguished character 
of all, among the followers of Jesus, was that of 

D 



26 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles. The man 
brought up in the prejudices which wrought such 
harm to the gospel; the man who assisted at the 
stoning of the first martyr ; who breathed out 
slaughter against the Christians; afterwards be- 
came the champion of the faith he had striven to 
put down, and preached the doctrines of him, at 
whose ignominious death he had rejoiced. He 
was thought worthy of a special revelation from 
our Saviour, and nobly did he, from that moment, 
devote the vast powers of his mind, all he had, 
even life itself, to the service of God, Never, 
through years of sorrow, danger, and suffering of 
every kind, did he repent the sacrifice he had 
made : never did he shrink from trials the most 
hard for human nature to endure; but, approaching 
more nearly than any other character which history 
presents, to the perfections of him, whom not 
having seen, he loved, he performed the great 
work of preaching the gospel in strange lands, 
where the true God was unknown : and vast in- 
deed is the debt of gratitude, which I, and gene- 
rations yet unborn, owe to his labours. 

Let me dwell on the virtues of these great men, 
till I become animated in some degree by their 
spirit. Let me endeavour to acquire the fervour 
and earnestness of Peter, the meekness and bene- 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 27 

volence of John, the steadfast faith and uni- 
versal charity of Paul : and then, and not till then, 
shall I have duly profited by the glorious revela- 
tion with which God has blessed me. 



PRAYER. 

MONDAY EVENING. 

O THOU ! who tries t the heart, and hast plea- 
sure in uprightness, wherefore should I, frail and 
imperfect as I am, dare to seek communion with 
thee, the greatest, wisest, and best of all beings ? 
But, great as thou art, thou hast promised to hear 
the prayer of those who worship in spirit and in 
truth. The homage of a grateful soul is accept- 
able unto thee, who delightest in mercy, and the 
supplications of the humble and contrite will not 
ascend to thee in vain. Blessed be thou, that 
thou hast permitted me to call thee Father, and 
that thou hast invited me, as a member of thy 
family of mankind, to pour out my soul before 
thee, and to seek thy support in distress and 
temptation. I will also offer up my tribute of 
ardent gratitude for the love which thou hast be- 
stowed upon me, and which an eternity of praise 

d2 



28 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

could not repay. Through the past day thy favour 
hath still attended me. I arose in the morning, 
in peace and safety; I have been supplied with 
convenient food, and with all that is necessary to 
comfort and happiness. I have enjoyed the means 
of knowing thee better in thy word, and in thy 
works, and having been thus blessed, I will lay 
myself down in peace, and sleep, trusting that thy 
Almighty arm will still sustain me, and that thy 
watchful love will still guard me from evil and 
danger. 

I know, O God ! how unworthy I have been of 
thy favour. I know that I have followed too 
much the devices and desires of my own heart, and 
that thy benefits have not excited in me such grati- 
tude as leadeth to implicit obedience. God of all 
mercy ! pardon the imperfections of my service : 
grant me thy grace to love and serve thee better. 
May I diligently study thy word, and may the 
examples of great and good men, there held out to 
me, induce me, like them, to overcome every weak- 
ness, to give up every sinful indulgence, and to 
conquer every temptation, rather than offend 
against thee, and draw down upon myself thy most 
righteous displeasure. 

To thy care I commend all whom I love, trusting 
that thou wilt protect them. O Lord ! be thou 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 29 

our guide through life, our support in death, and 
our eternal portion in that happy state, to which 
thou hast promised to admit all who faithfully 
and diligently serve thee on earth. 

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I would 
ascribe unto thee supreme honours and everlast- 
ing praises. Amen. 



REFLECTION. 

TUESDAY MORNING. 

" Do all things without murmurings or disputings." Phil, ii, 14. 

" Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every 
evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first 
pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated." 
James iii, 16, 17. 

How does it happen that, though God has 
bestowed on every man a large share of blessings ; 
though He has placed His rational offspring* in a 
beautiful world, created for their enjoyment; 
though He has endowed them with social affections, 
and rendered the exercise of those affections a 
source of the purest pleasure; so little unalloyed 
happiness is found in the world I Many miseries 
undoubtedly arise from causes out of the control 
of man, and many from the gross vices of the 
wicked ; but there is much unhappiness, independ- 
ent of these causes. I frequently perceive that 

D3 



30 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES, 

families, who are exempted from misfortune, who 
possess a competent share of this world's goods, 
and who practise no vices, yet are not at ease. 
Surely this must arise from the want of amiable 
dispositions. When all without is prosperous, 
there must be some mental disease which impairs 
their enjoyment; and this disease I believe to be 
the want of control over the temper. How 
grievous is it, that this fault, which is never 
incorrigible, though, where long indulged, very 
difficult to overcome, should be suffered to make 
such ravages in comfort and peace ! How grievous 
is it, that beings who might make each other's 
happiness, and be a mutual support under una- 
voidable sorrows, should thus render themselves 
and each other miserable, from want of self- 
command ! Men, from bodily constitution, from 
early education, and from many other circum- 
stances, grow up with different tastes, inclinations, 
and tempers, which, unless controled and carefully 
managed, will occasion much injury to each other. 
But if each one were to consider the comfort, and 
make allowance for the weaknesses of his neigh- 
bour, and to govern his temper accordingly, how 
much of the misery, of which all complain, might 
be avoided, and how smoothly and agreeably 
would the affairs of life go on ! 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 31 

In the hour of calm reflection, my reason con- 
firms these truths. But is my practice never at 
variance with my convictions ? I, like every one 
else, sometimes meet with crosses and disappoint- 
ments. Is my temper always proof against pro- 
vocation ? If offended, do I never resent? If 
unjustly accused, do I with a soft answer turn 
away wrath ? Can I bear to have my intentions 
thwarted, my motives misunderstood, my benevo- 
lent designs frustrated, or even my failings re- 
buked, and my faults censured, with meekness 
and good humour? Is there no pertinacity in 
retaining my opinions, no obstinacy in my own 
will, no peevishness and irritability under vexa- 
tious circumstances, no sullenness under reproof? 
Let me consider the necessity of correcting what 
is wrong in my temper, and strive to amend it, 
before the habit is grown too strong. It is absurd 
to say that my temper is good, while that of others 
is so: that I am good-humoured unless provoked, 
and that therefore the fault lies in others, instead 
of myself. I can never live in a society where 
tempers are all perfect: and if that were possible, 
accidents, which are under no one's control, would 
continually occur to disturb my tranquillity, if 
my peace were not beyond their power. It will 
continually happen that my charity will be abused, 



32 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 



my favourite pursuits interrupted, my leisure bro- 
ken in upon: and what remedy is there for these 
vexations, if my temper be not prepared to meet 
them J Let me not think this a trifle beneath my 
care : let me not persuade myself that, because I 
am young, the task need not yet be undertaken. 
My life is in a great measure made up of trifles ; 
and therefore nothing which affects my happiness 
in the smallest degree can be beneath my notice. 
I cannot now form an idea how much the peace of 
future years may depend on the temper I now 
encourage ; but that they are very intimately con- 
nected, the examples I daily see assure me. 

How many families are obliged to sacrifice their 
comfort to one peevish, passionate, or sullen, tem- 
per; and how unhappy and ungrateful should I 
be, if I were thus to repay the kindness of those 
who have brought me up, and endeavoured to 
teach me the lesson of self-government ! Let me 
be aware in time. Let me from this moment 
command myself when disposed to be vexed by 
unavoidable circumstances. It will doubtless 
cause me a struggle ; but let the struggle be 
made before it is too late, and my endeavours 
will be amply repaid by the peace which will be 
my portion. Let me remember, that the small 
trials which I meet with, are no less sent by God, 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 33 

than greater sorrows, and are equally intended for 
my good ; and therefore let me not be above calling 
in my religious principles to my aid; for where 
there is temptation, however small, their assist- 
ance will be necessary. 

Having thus resolved, let me adhere to my 
resolution. This very day, perhaps this very hour, 
some difficulty may occur which it will require 
resolution to overcome with good-humour, and 
then let me call to mind my present reflections. 
After every victory, I shall find less difficulty in 
conquering. Let me never yield to temptation of 
any kind, against the conviction of reason and 
conscience. 



PRAYER. 

TUESDAY MORNING. 

O ! thou, all-powerful and all-wise God, all 
things were created by thee, and all things are at 
thy disposal. All that I have was bestowed by 
thee, and whatsoever I do is known unto thee. O 
Lord ! thou hast searched me, and known me : 
thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, 
and understandest my thoughts afar off. Thou 



34 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

compasses! my path, and my lying down, and art 
acquainted with all my ways, Thou art within 
me, and above me, and around me. Nothing 
cometh to pass without thy permission. No word 
can I speak, no thought can I indulge, which is 
not known unto thee. O ! may this conviction 
lead me to govern myself in thy fear, to live ac- 
cording to thy will, and to submit myself to thy 
righteous dispensations. If gladness should be 
my portion, may my thoughts be filled with thy 
love, and may gratitude enhance every enjoyment : 
if sorrow should be appointed me, may the re- 
membrance of thy superintending Providence, 
thy fatherly care, lead me to place unshaken trust 
in thee, and to yield cheerful submission to thy will. 
Though thou shouldest see fit to deprive me of 
all beside, yet thou wilt be ever with me, and 
nothing can estrange thee from the beings thou 
hast made. 

O Lord ! may thy grace preserve me from sin : 
may I fortify my soul, by the love of thee, against 
all temptations ; but if my feet should stray from 
thy ways, if my heart should no longer be a 
temple for thee to dwell in, may thy chastening rod 
bring me back to the paths of peace and virtue. 
Even if I be bowed down to the dust with sorrow, 
if every hope but that of pardon be lost, let thy 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 35 

chastisement not cease till I have once more 
learned to dwell in thy fear. But thou art of purer 
eyes than to behold iniquity : thou art a God of 
holiness, and in thy sight the wicked shall not 
stand. May I then never incur thy displeasure, 
but above all things seek thy favour, which is 
better than life, 1 beseech thee to grant me thy 
support in trial, thy love in prosperity, thy guard- 
ianship in life and in death. May I be a humble 
follower of our glorified master, and may my 
sincere, though imperfect obedience, be acceptable 
unto thee who knowest our frame, and rememberest 
that we are but dust. 

Grant unto all thy creatures, I pray thee, the 
things which are needful for their support and 
preservation. Accept my thanksgiving for the 
protection which thou hast hitherto afforded us. 

1 ask these things of thee, the God who givest 
to all men liberally, and upbraidest not, as long 
as they ask in faith : and in that faith, I would 
ascribe unto thee, honor, glory, and praise, for 
ever. Amen. 






36 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

REFLECTION. 

TUESDAY EVENING. 

" The sting of death is Sin." I. Cor. xv, 56. 

i( The tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with 
them, and they shall be his people ; and God Himself 
shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall 
wipe away all tears from their eyes ; and there shall be no 
more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall 
there be any more pain ; for the former things are passed 
away." Rev. xxi, 3, 4. 

It is too common for the young-, while in the 
possession of health, to forget that their present 
enjoyments will not always last; that the hour of 
death must come, and may, perhaps, come soon. 
If it must arrive, it seems almost impossible that 
so important an event should not engage their 
attention, even though they were assured that its 
approach would be long delayed. If I knew with 
certainty, that at some period of my life, I should 
remove to a distant country, of which I could 
know little, but that it is essentially different 
from the one I now inhabit, in which my pur- 
suits must be very unlike what they are at 
present, and that I must go alone, is it possible 
that so great a change should not engage my chief 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 37 

attention ; especially if it might take place at any 
moment? Would it not be the part of prudence 
to learn what I could of this other country, to 
prepare myself, according to my knowledge, for 
being happy there ? Such should be my foresight 
with respect to the important change of death. 
Let me consider what this change is, and what is 
the fittest preparation for it. 

God has created me with a body, and mind, 
endowed with various senses and faculties. He 
has placed me in a world which supplies me with 
all that is necessary for the support and enjoyment 
of the body and its powers. My animal senses 
meet with their appropriate gratifications, and are 
inlets to great pleasures. The soul is not so fully 
provided for. Though its faculties have large and 
delightful occupation, in contemplating the per- 
fections of the great Creator in His works; yet 
this is not sufficient for its capacities. The know- 
ledge it is able to obtain is not enough for its 
desires : it continually seeks for fuller satisfaction, 
but cannot find it in this state of its existence. 
Instead of obliging man to check the aspirings of 
his nobler powers, and chiefly to seek the gratifi- 
cation of the animal senses, God has promised 
that all men shall live again, after the body has 
been dissolved in death; when the soul, if previ- 

E 



38 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

ously prepared by the means which He hath grant- 
ed, shall obtain that perfect knowledge, and full 
enjoyment, for which it sought in vain on earth. 
Notwithstanding these hopes and promises, how 
many, instead of fitting the soul for the highest 
satisfactions, persist in gratifying the body only, 
which must soon die with all its pleasures ! One 
great cause of this is the dread of the dissolution 
which must precede the initiation into the happi- 
ness of heaven. It is true that death is commonly 
accompanied by pain and sickness ; and there 
is, besides, something in the highest degree awful, 
in the prospect of entering a state of which we 
know little, but that it is materially different from 
the present. But these fears will be increased, 
instead of lessened, by deferring all preparation 
for the event, till its approach. Let me then 
prepare in time, both for death, and what will 
follow. 

God has revealed to us, that in heaven His 
manifest presence will be a source of enjoyment 
to the virtuous. Let me then, on earth, delight 
to study His perfections as far as they are open 
to my contemplation. Let me find happiness, now, 
in the conviction of His continual presence, that 
the same conviction may cause the same happiness, 
in a higher state of existence. After death, all 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 39 

sensual enjoyments will be done away : let me 
now, therefore, make use of them only in sub- 
servience to intellectual pleasures. After death 
I may be admitted into the presence of Jesus, 
who died for me, that I might gain entrance 
into that happy state. Let me study his virtues, 
and imitate them to the best of my power, 
that my communion with him may be more 
perfect. I am told that benevolence is an 
essential requisite for heavenly happiness. Let 
me then, as long as I live, be more careful 
for the good of others than for my own. Let 
me fortify my soul against the pains of sickness, 
and the fear of death, by the reflection that 
the same merciful Father who has placed eternal 
happiness within my reach, inflicts these prepa- 
ratory sufferings to enable me the better to 
obtain it, and that he has promised Himself 
to support me, if I put my trust in Him, and 
endeavour to acquiesce in His will, however 
difficult that acquiescence may be. Let not 
any mortal fears then divert my attention from 
the glorious hopes beyond the grave. Let me 
not think only of suffering, till my soul turns 
for relief to views beneath it: let me not con- 
template the dark valley of the shadow of death, 
till I am tempted to trust to the delusive gleam 

e2 



40 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

of earthly pleasures ; but let my gaze be fixed 
on that glorious region, where God Himself shall 
be an everlasting light to those who, through 
faith and patience, inherit the promises He hath 
vouchsafed to mankind. But, above all, let me 
not, because the day of death may be distant, 
forget the necessity of these preparations. It is 
not the few last hours of expiring life which will 
fit me for immortality. The few last years, 
even, will be very insufficient for the work I have 
to do. If I am convinced that it must be done 
at all, nothing can excuse me from beginning it 
now. I have passions to subdue, grovelling 
inclinations to raise, wavering hopes to animate 
to steadfast faith, pride to change to humility, 
natural sympathies to strengthen into christian 
benevolence, attachment to this world to convert 
into the citizenship of heaven ! Can it ever be 
too soon to begin such* a work as this ? It will 
require continual vigilance, and unremitted care, 
through whatever portion of time God shall be 
pleased to allot me. May His grace assist and 
sustain me to the end ! 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 41 

PRAYER. 

TUESDAY EVENING. 

O thou glorious Being ! King eternal, im- 
mortal, invisible ! may these meditations of my 
heart be acceptable unto thee! I would praise 
thee for thy mercy in having promised that thy 
creature, man, shall not always dwell in the midst 
of sin and suffering, but shall be enabled to enter 
that state, where he shall be immortal as thyself ; 
where thou shaft no longer be invisible ; but where 
thy manifest presence shall be a source of unfailing 
happiness to him. O may the glories of thy 
heavenly kingdom not be veiled from me! May I 
find my supreme delight in thy presence while on 
earth, that it may be my joy hereafter! May I 
live on earth as a citizen of heaven; not giving my 
soul to the vain and transitory pleasures of this 
world, which will delude, and not satisfy, and which 
will lead me astray from thee, but contemplating 
thy perfections, till I love things heavenly, and 
strive to lay up a treasure there, which shall be mine 
for ever. I know that, to do this, I must overcome 
sin; I must patiently endure sorrow; I must sub- 
mit to the stroke of death; I must prepare for 
judgment. Do thou, O Lord ! strengthen me 

E3 



42 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

against trial; arm me with heavenly fortitude 
against suffering ; and support me in death ! When 
I am stretched on the bed of sickness, when the 
delusive scenes of this world recede from my 
sight, when the awful realities of a future and 
eternal state open upon my view, do thou calm my 
anxious fears, dispel my doubts, strengthen my 
sinking heart, and confirm my wavering faith. 
May no mistrust of thy goodness disturb my de- 
parting soul, but may peace, the peace which 
passeth all understanding, the peace which Jesus 
promised to his true followers, sustain my soul in 
that awful hour; and may it be succeeded by thy 
acceptance of my imperfect services ! 

To thee, O God! do I commit myself, knowing 
that thy tender mercy will do what is best for me; 
and, as long as I obey thee, I will fear no evil. 

These blessings I ask, not for myself only, but 
for all men. May the knowledge of thy glorious 
gospel, confirmed by the resurrection of him who 
preached it, spread over the whole earth. May 
all men, at length, know thee, the only true God, 
and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent ; and may 
this knowledge lead them to live in thy fear, en- 
joying the blessings of thy love. May thine infi- 
nite mercy at length re-unite us all in that better 
world, where sin and sorrow shall no more be 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 43 

known; where the wicked cease from troubling, 
the weary are at rest, and the virtuous enjoy 
eternal happiness in the presence of thy glory. 
Unto thee be all blessing and praise for ever. 

Amen. 



REFLECTION. 

WEDNESDAY MORNING. 

" A man can receive nothing except it be given him from 

heaven." John iii, 27. 
"Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same 

is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matt, xviii, 4. 

I HAVE often been struck by the pertinacity with 
which young persons maintain their own opinions, 
and their unwillingness to allow weight to the ad- 
vice of those, who by age and experience, have 
gained more wisdom than it is possible for the 
young to possess. And it is not less worthy of 
remark, that the wisest, both as to human learning 
and divine attainments, are ever the most modest, 
and open to conviction. Surely, then, humility 
must be a part of wisdom : otherwise this order 
would be reversed : those who are the most able 
would also be the most willing to teach, and the 
youthful and inexperienced would thankfully learn. 
Lest I should fall into this error of ignorance and 



44 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 






folly, I will reflect on the importance and neces- 
sity of acquiring the virtue of Humility. 

If I consider Humility only as a reasonable and 
becoming respect which the young should pay to 
the aged, as the greatest ornament to youth, and 
one which will incline all to think favourably of 
those who possess it, its value is great : but when 
I reflect that it is a christian virtue, and one on 
which most others are founded, its importance 
becomes unspeakable. Without Humility, I can-, 
not receive the instructions of the gospel into a 
teachable heart ; and while my heart does not 
assent to its truths, my progress can be but small. 
Without Humility I shall not fully avail myself of 
the assistance which the ministers of religion and 
other spiritual guides are able to afford ; and this 
great means of improvement will be partly lost to 
me : and above all, if I do not entertain a due 
reverence for this noble virtue, I cannot appre- 
ciate its beauty as displayed in the character of 
Jesus; and therefore my imitation of this perfec- 
tion in him will be wanting. 

Christian humility is not, as many suppose, a 
negative virtue, a natural disposition of the mind, 
with which some are constitutionally endowed, and 
in which others are deficient. It is an acquired 
virtue; one which needs much resolution, and 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 45 

great efforts, to establish so firmly that other vir- 
tues may be founded upon it. It is acquired by 
steadily contemplating the sins and weaknesses of 
the heart, and by impartially comparing the at- 
tainments in virtue already made with the charac- 
ter of Jesus; and not, as is too frequently done, 
by contrasting them with the follies of those who 
are frail and faulty as ourselves. If I compare 
myself with those who have not enjoyed equal 
advantages, I shall be in danger of becoming 
inflated with a sense of my fancied superiority, 
while perhaps they, considering their opportuni- 
ties, have made greater advances than myself. 
Even in a comparison with the wise and good 
among men, I may be humbled, but not humbled 
enough. One standard of excellence is fixed, 
which will never vary ; and as long as I fall short 
of that, I shall have reason for the exercise of 
Humility. Unless springing from this root, all my 
good qualities will be but as the flowers of the 
field, dispersed by the first blast, and withered by 
the first scorching ray. Fortitude, if not pro- 
ceeding from the humblest submission to God, 
will not be a christian virtue ; it will be of the 
same nature as that practised by heathen philo- 
sophers before the revelation of our religion ; 
admirable indeed in them, but cold, cheerless, 



46 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

and hard to maintain, in comparison with that 
secure and perfect reliance on an Almighty 
Guardian, which is the duty and the privilege of 
the Christian. 

Faith has the same foundation, and is to be 
established by the same means. Charity, in the 
largest sense of the word, is in the highest degree 
promoted by Humility. If I know by experience 
the difficulty of overcoming my own weaknesses, 
I shall be inclined to give my compassion and 
assistance to those who need it, instead of expos- 
ing their failings, and ridiculing their infirmities. 
If I consider myself one of the humblest servants 
of the Most High, it will delight me to promote 
His plans of benevolence, as far as he has put it 
in my power, by strengthening the feeble minded, 
supporting the weak, relieving the destitute, and 
instructing the ignorant. Christian charity, pro- 
ceeding from Humility, is the only benevolence 
which can be acceptable to God ; for the motives 
which prompt to ostentatious charity are not such 
as will meet with His approbation and reward. 

Perhaps I may sometimes be tempted to say, 
that this Humility will abridge my powers of use- 
fulness ; that, if I entertained more confidence in 
myself, my efforts would be attended with better 
success ; and that, if all my endeavours must ap- 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 47 

pear so imperfect in my own estimation, it is in 
vain to attempt to make exertions which will never 
repay me. Let me be assured that genuine 
Humility will never suggest thoughts like these; 
it is indolence, or abjectness, or something else, 
that presents itself under the appearance of meek- 
ness, to deceive me. Let me be convinced that 
the dignity of our holy religion is sufficient to 
support me, and make my exertions available. Let 
me remember that it will not be what T have 
achieved, but what I have endeavoured, which 
will be considered by my final Judge. Let me 
in all doubts and perplexities turn to contemplate 
the character of Jesus, who, perfect as he was, 
blended the meekness, well becoming the frailest 
of his followers, with a dignity which proclaimed 
him the beloved Son of God. Let me endeavour 
in youth, in age, in poverty or riches, in joy or 
sorrow, to be like him, meek and lowly of heart, 
that I may find rest unto my soul ! 



48 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

PRAYER. 

WEDNESDAY MORNING. 

O THOU al [-righteous God ! holy and just ! who 
can appear before thee without sin? who can 
deserve thy favour? But blessed be thy goodness, 
that thou hast promised to accept the humble, 
imperfect efforts of thy creatures to please thee. 
Thou hast made them frail, and knowing their 
frame, thou mercifully forgivest their weakness, 
and pardonest their errors, if they seek to im- 
prove in virtue. I have too often sinned against 
thee, and merited thy displeasure; and thou dost 
still continue me in existence, and in the enjoy- 
ment of numberless mercies. O Lord ! may I not 
presume upon thy goodness, and think, because 
thou dost bless me, that I am worthy of thy 
blessing. May I contemplate the perfection of 
the Christian character which I must strive to 
attain ; and, the more I contemplate it, the greater 
be my diligence, and the more humble my self- 
approval. May my soul not be elated by the 
conquest of one passion, the attainment of one 
virtue, or a partial knowledge of thy will; but, 
when pride or vanity arises in my heart, may 
I reflect, with shame and contrition, on my own 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 49 

unworthiness, and remember that in this imper- 
fect state I can never, by my own merits, deserve 
the eternal happiness which thou hast, of thy 
free grace, promised to those who, by patient 
continuance in well doing, seek for glory, honour, 
and immortality. May I, in the season of youth, 
devote my powers, in all their vigour, to thy 
service; and, as my understanding ripens, may 
my piety also increase; that, if my life be pro- 
longed to old age, when the things of this world 
lose their value, and earthly pleasures no longer 
charm, I may have in store, hopes and delights, 
which ever outweigh all that earth can give. 
As I advance towards the grave, may I fix my 
view on the glorious prospect beyond, which 
thou hast graciously revealed to man, to cheer 
him in trial and temptation, and to encourage 
him to strive unto the end. If I give my youth 
unto thee, do thou support me in age, in sick- 
ness, and in sorrow, and may my whole depend- 
ence be on thee. May I not fear the hour of 
death, knowing that thou wilt be with me ; and 
when I appear before thy throne, may my sins 
be pardoned, my unworthy endeavours accepted, 
and may I, by thy grace, be permitted to join the 
happy number of the spirits of the just made per- 
fect, who continually sing praises round thy throne. 



50 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

Now unto thee, the King eternal, immortal, 
invisible, who dwellest in light inaccessible, which 
no man can approach unto, whom no man hath 
seen, or can see, be glory, honour, and praise, 
for ever. Amen. 



REFLECTION. 

WEDNESDAY EVENING, 

'< If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not 
his tongue, that man's religion is vain." James i, 26. 

u Bringing every thought into subjection to the obedience of 
Christ." II. Cor. x, 5. 

I have often contemplated the character of 
Jesus Christ; and the sentiment which always re- 
curs on the contemplation is that of admiration of 
the perfect consistency of the whole. Virtues, 
which some think incompatible with each other, 
there subsist in beautiful harmony. His meekness 
is consistent with his holy dignity, his forbearance 
with his indignation against vice, his exalted holi- 
ness with perfect sympathy for his species, his 
acute sensibility for the sufferings of all men, with 
perfect trust in God, Self-control could be 
the only means by which he could so subdue his 
inclinations, balance his affections, make the 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 51 

lesser virtues subservient to the greater, as to 
form that Christian character, which ought to be 
a model to all his followers as long as the world 
endures, and which must ever claim their admira- 
tion, reverence, gratitude, and iove. 

I am commanded continually to approach to the 
perfection of this noble character; and, to the at- 
tainment of this end, self-command is one of the 
most necessary requisites. If I reflect on my 
conduct, and try to discover wherein I differ so 
much from the pattern I ought to imitate, I shall 
find that I often indulge anger which I afterwards 
sincerely regret, that I say many things which I 
would gladly retract, and, above all, that I suffer 
my thoughts to wander, til! I have lost all author- 
ity over them. As long as my mind is not within 
my own power, it is in vain to think of bringing 
it under religious discipline. It is in vain to fix 
my standard of right, and to wish to act up to it, 
while the means which I must employ are not 
under my own control. I must first gain author- 
ity over the passions I wish to subdue, the tongue 
I mean to rule, and the thoughts I desire to govern. 

Being convinced of the danger of uncontroled 
license of speech, let me be swift to hear, slow to 
speak; let me not be too anxious to declare my 
own opinions till time may have matured them, 

f 2 



52 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

and corrected the errors into which inexperi- 
ence may have led me. Let me not indulge in 
exposing the faults of others ; but, where they 
are so glaring as to force observation, let them 
serve as a warning to myself, but not as a subject 
of conversation, except in a very few instances, 
when the warning may be of use to others. I 
perceive that it is not always right to speak the 
whole of what I feel and think; but how much 
more wrong is it to give, as my own, opinions 
which I have never examined, and therefore of 
the good or bad tendency of which I am ignorant, 
but for the consequences of which I make myself 
responsible by promulgating them ! Many young 
persons are led into this more than error — this 
sin — by the love of talking ; but vanity has often 
a large share in it also, by prompting them to 
display an imagined acuteness of reasoning, or 
talent in argument : and when vanity is the cause, 
this ought to be accounted a fault of the heart, 
rather than of the tongue. 

This leads me to consider the necessity of ob- 
taining control over the thoughts. If I could 
compute the time which has been employed in 
suffering my thoughts to dwell on the faults of 
others, on past circumstances, so trifling as to de- 
serve only to be forgotten, on future events which 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 53 

may never take place, on hopes and fears without 
foundation, on plans which have never been exe- 
cuted, on resolutions which have been broken as 
often as formed, and even on trifles which would 
be innocent, if any thing could be innocent which 
contributes to waste of thought, I should be 
shocked that so large a portion of the day, in which 
only I can work, had been lost, and worse than 
lost. This evil is to be remedied by constant 
care, by strong resolution, and especially by fre- 
quent and steady self-examination. When a 
good train of thought is begun, I must be careful 
to keep my attention fixed upon it till I have fol- 
lowed it to the end, without turning aside for the 
sake of worthless trifles. I must strive to blend 
the feeling of duty with every other. In moments 
of leisure it must be my chief subject of medita- 
tion: in the busiest and gayest hours the same 
idea should be frequently dwelt upon, till it be- 
comes so associated with my occupations and 
pleasures of every kind, that they shall introduce 
good thoughts instead of banishing them, shall 
awaken the conscience instead of deadening it. 
Thus, while engaged in the pursuit of knowledge, 
I shall apply diligently; while busied with active 
duties, my whole mind will be given to the per- 
formance of them. 

F 3 



54 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

When I have entered into communion with 
my Maker, let my whole soul be absorbed in 
devotion, that no wandering thoughts may bring 
in the things of the world to intrude on the 
privacy which should be given to Him alone ; 
that I may not mock Him with the worship of 
the lips, while my heart is far from Him: that 
I may not give my soul in bondage to the world, 
while I ought to be serving Him in spirit and in 
truth. The absence of the mind in the services of 
religion is one of the most dangerous conse- 
quences of want of command over the thoughts ; 
a consequence which will fall heavily upon me, if 
I am not on my guard; for it is an evil almost 
past cure, when it has been long encouraged. 
Let me then strive without ceasing to acquire the 
importanthabit of self-government, without which 
all virtuous wishes and desires will be ineffectual 
and vain. 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 55 

PRAYER. 

WEDNESDAY EVENING. 

Great and ever blessed God, how glorious is 
thy name, and how adorable are thy perfections ! 
I cannot comprehend thy nature ; for what mortal 
creature can know the eternal God? who can find 
out the Almighty to perfection ? Thou hast 
existed for ever ; and of thy being there shall be 
no end : from everlasting to everlasting thou art 
God. Great as thou art, though Heaven is thy 
throne, though infinite space is thy habitation, 
thou dost not disdain to protect and sustain the 
meanest of thy creatures. Though angels, that 
excel in strength, are thy servants, though the 
mighty sun obeyeth thy command, though all 
that is vast and wonderful is thine, thou dost 
care for all things that thou hast made ; and not 
even a sparrow falleth to the ground without thy 
will. Thou hast invited man, sinful man, who 
disobeyeth and forgetteth thee, to draw near unto 
thee, to pour out his soul before thee in sorrow 
for sin, and, like a tender father, who pitieth his 
children, thou dost pity and pardon him, when he 
repenteth of the evil which he hath done. O 
Lord ! I would partake of thy grace. I acknow- 
ledge with shame that I have displeased thee. 



56 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

I have done that which I ought not to have done, 
and have left undone that which I ought to have 
done. I have followed my own evil inclinations, 
rather than thy will. Thou hast said, "Give me 
thy heart;" but I have given my heart too much 
to the things of the world, and have not cherish- 
ed holy desires, and heavenly hopes. O Lord ! 
teach me thy way ; teach me to please thee better, 
and to devote my soul to thy service. May I 
contemplate thy attributes, till I strive in some 
measure to be perfect as thou art perfect. May 
I be a faithful follower of the Captain of our 
salvation : may I submit myself to his guidance, 
that I may pass safely and peacefully through the 
storms of sorrow, the snares of sin, and the dark 
valley of the shadow of death. Though his form 
is no more seen on earth, may the voice of 
exhortation, of encouragement, and of love, which 
still addresseth our hearts in his holy Gospel, 
never cease to be my instructor in thy will, till 
the end of all things, when I shall appear before 
thee. O may I find mercy in that awful hour, 
and be permitted, through thy grace, to join 
those virtuous and happy spirits, who for ever 
dwell with thee ! 

Merciful Father! accept of my humble thanks- 
givings for the blessings which have marked the 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 57 

day which is past; and may thy goodness protect 
me during the hours of darkness. May I lie 
down, and sleep, and wake in peace, because 
thou sustainest me; and may my first thoughts 
be devoted unto thee, my guardian and almighty 
Friend ! 

Bestow thy blessing, I beseech thee, on all thy 
children of mankind. Do thou reclaim the wicked, 
comfort the afflicted, and permit all to rejoice 
in the light of thy gospel. 

I ask all, in the name, and as the disciple, of 
thy son, Jesus Christ, through whom I would 
ascribe unto thee all glory, honour, and praise, 
for ever. Amen. 



REFLECTION. 

THURSDAY MORNING. 

" His tender mercies are over all His works." Psalm cxlv, 9. 
"In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because 

that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that 

we might live through him." I. John iv, 9. 

I have again been preserved from whatever 
dangers have beset me, and am once more per- 
mitted to enjoy the return of day, with its occupa- 
tions and pleasures. What better season can I 



58 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

find, in which to contemplate the goodness of God ? 
How better than, when rejoicing in His mercy, 
call to grateful remembrance the Giver of every 
good and every perfect gift? Though his blessings 
are more in number than the sand, though no 
memory can retain them all, and though no 
tongue can count them, yet it is good to think of 
them, and thus to make the heart overflow with 
gratitude. 

His bounty is without limits. He blesseth 
each and all of His creatures, first by granting 
them existence, and afterwards by sustaining it. 
How great was His goodness in giving life to such 
countless multitudes of beings, and in making 
that existence happy ! How wisely and benevo- 
lently hath he suited them one to another, so that 
they should supply their mutual wants, and con- 
tribute to their mutual enjoyment ! Man resembles 
the creatures below him in the possession of these 
blessings; but he is likewise gifted with a soul, 
in some measure capable of understanding and 
appreciating the perfections of his Maker; a soul 
formed, not like the body 5 to live its day of enjoy- 
ment, and then perish, but to endure for ever. God 
has also granted to man the knowledge which is 
able to make him wise unto salvation, the know- 
ledge of a future state of happiness, and of the 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 59 

means of entering into it. These are the ines- 
timable blessings which He has granted to His 
creatures at large. Now let me consider what I 
individually owe to His goodness. 

When I first entered the world, t was a helpless 
infant, entirely dependent on the care of others 
for the continuance of existence. God had provided 
for it by implanting strong parental affection 
in the hearts of those to whom He consigned me, 
and who were prompted by that affection to 
guard me from danger, to nourish me with con- 
venient food, to clothe me, to nurse me in sickness, 
to watch continually for my good, when one 
moment's intermission of care, one single instance 
of forgetfulness, might have been fatal to me. 
When I had advanced a stage in existence, when 
the first d awnings of soul appeared, when I 
began to claim a place in the ranks of rational 
beings, my parents, appointed by God to the task, 
assisted to unfold my faculties, carefully tended 
my growing reason, watered the young plant with 
the dews of instruction, and fostered it with the 
sunshine of parental love. By the care of my 
heavenly Father I was preserved in the most 
helpless period of my life, and His care did not 
then cease. By that tender care has my body 
been preserved in health, and my mind, which 



CO DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

He endowed with such various powers, has also 
been provided for. My desire of knowledge has 
been gratified by stores of wisdom being placed 
in my power : my benevolent affections have 
found objects on which to exercise themselves; 
for I am surrounded by those whom I love, and 
who love me : my reason has found employment 
in contemplating those works of God by which 
I am encompassed, and my imagination, in 
striving to gain some knowledge of those which 
are in part beyond my reach. There is exercise 
for memory, in recalling, as I am now doing, the 
past mercies of my God, and for hope, in joyful- 
ly looking for a future renewal of them. And for 
those lofty and sublime affections, which can 
find no fit object on earth; for that adoration of 
perfection, that aspiring after something nobler 
and better than is to be found among men, there 
is an object, higher than imagination can soar, 
more sublime than the utmost stretch of reason 
can comprehend, more perfect than the heart of 
man can conceive, deserving more love than my 
warmest affection can offer — God, as revealed 
in His word. By this blessed revelation, I am 
enabled to enjoy yet more my earthly portion of 
happiness, and to lay up for myself treasures 
which shall endure when time shall be no more. 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 61 

By this blessed revelation, mortal life increases 
in importance, being- declared a state of prepar- 
ation for an eternal existence. By this blessed 
revelation, I am furnished with a perfect example 
of virtue, by imitating which, I may obtain the 
inestimable rewards promised to the righteous. 
By this blessed revelation, sorrow and death, 
otherwise to be so much dreaded, take their place 
among the number of mercies with which I am 
favoured ; the one prompting* me to seek after 
a better country, that is, an heavenly ; and the 
other being the entrance, through which I may 
gain admittance into that better country. By 
this blessed revelation, I learn that if I pass 
through life, its trials of prosperity and adversity, 
its snares, temptations, and dangers, taking God's 
word for my guide, and His will for my law, my 
soul shall dwell for ever in His presence, conti- 
nually in a state of improvement, continually ap- 
proximating to the Divine nature, continually 
increasing its capacities for enjoyment, by gratify- 
ing its noblest desires. 

Blessed be God, for His unspeakable mercy 
in granting such a revelation ! O may I never 
forget the gratitude which I owe to His love! 
Let me fulfil His gracious intentions, which would 
make me happy for ever. Let me glorify the 

G 






62 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

name of the Giver of all good, by an implicit 
obedience to his word, and by striving myself, and 
leading others to seek for that immortality which 
is the crowning gift of His mercy. Though all 
other blessings were withdrawn, though life and 
the promise of immortality alone remained, yet 
should my grateful praises ascend to His throne, 
for His undeserved goodness ; and yet would the 
best services a mortal creature can pay, be owing 
to my God, 

Let me now kneel before Him, and offer Him 
the thanksgivings of a heart penetrated with a 
sense of His mercy, and humbly desiring to become 
worthy of His favour. 



PRAYER. 

THURSDAY MORNING. 

O God of all mercy ! whose goodness filleth the 
whole earth, who hast created all that exists, how 
inexhaustible is thy bounty, how unwearied thy 
benevolence ! The sun which thou hast placed on 
high, to rule the day, and the moon, to shine by 
night, the stars also which thou hast ordained, 
show forth thy praise. The earth, with her moun- 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 63 

tains and valleys, her forests and rivers, and all 
else that thy hand hath made, praiseth thee. Thou 
givest the seed-time and harvest, when thou scat- 
terest the blessings of plenty, and the little hills 
rejoice on every side. Thou also givest the rain 
and hail, snow and vapour, and stormy winds, 
fulfilling thy word, that the stores of the earth may 
be preserved, and that when the spring returneth, 
she may bring forth her fruits again abundantly, 
and make glad the heart of man, Thou givest 
the light of day, that thy creatures may enjoy all 
these things, and thou hast ordained night, that 
they may obtain refreshment and repose, under 
thy guardian care. How innumerable are the 
beings who taste of thy bounty ! The birds of 
the air, the fishes of the sea, and all that passeth 
through the paths of the seas, the beasts and 
creeping things that dwell upon the earth, and 
Man, whom thou hast made a little lower than the 
angels, all wait upon thee, and thou givest them 
their meat in due season ; thou openest thine hand, 
aad satisfiest the desire of every living thing. 

But to thy rational creatures thou art most 
plenteous in mercy. Thou teachest them to know 
thee, and how to please thee; thou hast offered to 
conduct them to a better life even than this : and 
when they ungratefully forget thee, and disobey 

g2 



64 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

thy commands, thou dost mercifully forgive them, 
and receive them to thy favour, if they repent and 
return to thy ways. O may I never stray ! May 
the love which thy goodness inspires keep me in 
thy fear, and lead me in peace and thankfulness, 
to surrender my whole heart unto thee. May I 
indulge no affections which are incompatible with 
love to thee ; may I obey no command but thine, 
may I indulge no inclinations which are impure in 
thy sight. May I walk in all thy commandments 
and ordinances blameless, that when my Saviour 
shall appear to judge the world, I may be found 
spotless and unrebukeable, that I also may appear 
with him in glory. 

Hear my prayer, O Lord ! which I offer with a 
sincere and thankful heart. Grant me, in this 
world, the knowledge of thy truth, and in the world 
to come, life everlasting. To Thee be all honour 
and praise for ever. Amen. 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 65 



REFLECTION. 

THURSDAY EVENING. 

<< Judge not, that ye be not judged." Matt, vii, 1. 

" But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set 

at nought thy brother? For we shall all stand before the 

judgment-seat of Christ/' Rom. xiv, 10. 

When I exercise the duty of self-examination, 
how difficult do I find it to employ my whole mind 
in the act ; how unwilling am I to blame my own 
faults, and how ready to exalt my own virtues ! 
Or if I cannot acquit myself of blame, how great 
is my inclination to palliate what is wrong, how 
superficial my examination into motives ! But 
how different is my judgment on the conduct of 
others! Whether I am called on to judge them or 
not, I am too ready to ascribe bad motives, to put 
the worst construction on actions, of which it is not 
in my power to judge, and even unnecessarily to 
expose their weaknesses. But I need only consider 
how often my own actions have been misinterpret- 
ed, to be assured that even the power of judging is 
possessed by few. Would that as few possessed 
the inclination ! Perhaps nothing is more difficult 

G3 



66 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

to comprehend, few things are more inaccessible 
to examination, than the human mind, None but 
those who have deeply studied it, can be aware of 
its intricacy. Few can search it to the bottom, 
and those few modestly shrink from the task of 
exploring the minds of other men, finding it diffi- 
cult enough to obtain any accurate knowledge of 
their own. They know how many motives often 
combine to prompt to an action ; and who but the 
Searcher of hearts shall say which are good, and 
which are evil ? I have often been blamed for 
actions which proceeded from a right motive, and 
praised for good qualities, which constitution, 
early education, or other circumstances, have 
made easy in the exercise, and which therefore 
merit little commendation. If the judgment of 
others is thus imperfect with respect to myself, 
is it not probable that mine will be likewise mis- 
taken ? 

If I did possess the power of judging others, 
what right have I to do it? Even if I could see 
into their minds, discern the intricate workings of 
their hearts, feel the influence of circumstances 
as they do, be subject to the same temptations, 
and thus be enabled to judge, how should I be 
authorized to do so ? Is there any command which 
bids us pry into each other's actions, and instead 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 67 

of endeavouring to reclaim the sinner, or to 
improve the faulty, confirm them in their evil 
habits by exposing them, and thus blunting the 
edge of shame ? Hath not God rather said, by the 
mouth of His servants, "Thou shalt love thy neigh- 
bour as thyself :" "Loveworketh no ill to his neigh- 
bour :" "Be kindly affectioned one to another, 
with brotherly love?" Hath He not also threat- 
ened punishment to " backbiters," and those "full 
of malignity ?" And surely it is malignity, instead 
of considering every man as a brother, to expose 
his sins to public observation, to exult, as it were, 
over his fallen virtue, and to impede his return 
to the right way, by setting the hearts of men 
against him. 

Though I may not have reason to accuse myself 
of this sin in so great a degree as this, have I not 
practised it under an appearance less revolting ? 
Do I not sometimes make the faults or infirmities 
of my neighbour the subject of my conversation ? 
Do not blemishes occasioned by defective educa- 
tion, or singularities caused by circumstances of 
which I know nothing, sometimes afford subjects 
for invective, or at least for ridicule ? And ho\* 
do I know that, by so doing, I am not worthy of 
greater blame than those I am thus injuring? I 
certainly know that I am not yielding obedience 



68 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

to the commandment of Jesus, to love one another. 
I am not exercising* that spirit of forgiveness, 
which I daily pray may be exercised towards my- 
self. I am not doing to others as I would they 
should do unto me. 

How should compassion be exerted if not on 
those who are subject to the greatest of evils — Sin? 
I am ready to compassionate the sorrowful, to as- 
sist and relieve them if possible, and at least to 
grieve with them. Similar should be my feelings 
towards those who are suffering under the tyranny 
of sin. I should warn them of guilt and danger. 
I should by reproof, by exhortation, by persuasion, 
by every means in my power, recall the sinner from 
the error of his ways. I should hold out a friend- 
ly hand to guide and assist his feeble steps : or 
where I am not able to do this, I should be silent 
concerning him, that I may at least throw no im- 
pediment in the way of his return. Such is the 
forbearance I should wish to be extended to my- 
self, if I should ever stray : such then be my con- 
duct to others. Let me remember how the holy 
Jesus, the Son of God, pardoned and encouraged 
the sinful, on repentance ; how he won them back 
to virtue, by first mildly rebuking their sins, and 
afterwards remembering them no more. Let me 
keep in mind the noble apostle's declaration, 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES, 69 

that he was all things to all men ; that, by making 
allowance for their prejudices, by overlooking their 
weaknesses, and not exposing their errors, he 
might by all means save some. Let these be my 
examples ; as in all other things, so in this. Christ- 
ian Charity exhorts me to it: that Charity de- 
scribed by the apostle, over whose heart she exert- 
ed such influence. Charity suffereth long, and is 
kind. Unprovoked by injuries, envying not the 
prosperity of the wicked, she silently walks the 
earth, by gentleness overcoming evil, pouring the 
balm of comfort into the repentant heart, whisper- 
ing peace in the mourner's ear, drawing a veil 
over sin, thinking no evil, rejoicing not in iniquity, 
but rejoicing in the truth ; with meek humility 
vaunting not herself, and seeking not her own ; 
bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all 
things, enduring all things. O ! let me be her 
follower for ever ; for when prophecies shall fail, 
when tongues shall cease, when knowledge shall 
vanish away, when we shall no longer see through 
a glass darkly, but shall know, even as we are 
known, Charity shall never fail. Then shall re- 
main Faith, Hope, and Charity, but the greatest 
of these is Charity. 



70 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

PRAYER. 

THURSDAY EVENING. 

O thou, who dwellest in the heavens, whose 
throne is among the stars, but who yet art the 
Father of all thy creatures ! I would render unto 
thee the homage which is due from a weak and 
sinful creature, to that Being in whom all perfec- 
tions unite : Hallowed be thy name, O Lord ! for 
thou only art holy ; blessed be thy name, for thou 
art love ; adored be thy name, for thou alone art 
infinitely great, and wise, and good. May the 
knowledge of thy glorious perfections spread over 
the whole earth, that all men may bend in homage 
to thee, who hast created, and dost still preserve 
them in being. May all live in obedience to thy 
laws : may all acknowledge the authority of thy 
Gospel, that thy will may be done on earth, even 
as it is in heaven ; and that all may become joint- 
heirs with Jesus Christ, of that immortality which 
thou hast promised to those who seek it. 

Bless and preserve, I beseech thee, myself and 
those to whom I am bound by the ties of kindred 
or love, in the midst of the dangers and evils by 
which we are surrounded, and grant us all needful 
good, From sickness, from poverty, from danger, 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES, 71 

and death, do thou deliver us ; for on thee only do 
we depend. In the hours of darkness, do thou 
watch over us, and may our first thoughts when we 
awake be of thee. Continue to us the blessings 
we already enjoy, but render us willing to resign 
them, if thou, who didst bestow them, shouldst see 
fit to resume thy gifts. 

I acknowledge with deep sorrow that I have 
not been worthy of thy past goodness, but, merci- 
ful Father ! pardon my transgressions. Look with 
compassion on my frailty, and teach me, who am 
so erring, to forgive and pity those who may in 
any way have injured me. May I remember him 
who was despised and rejected of men, whose life 
was one of continual suffering, from the wicked- 
ness of men, but who forgave their cruel injuries, 
and prayed for them with his last breath. 

May I strive to be compassionate and forgiving 
like him, and ever remember how much I need 
thy pardon for my numerous offences. Keep me, 
I beseech the, from falling into the snares of sin. 
Strengthen me to overcome temptation, and to 
subdue all evil passions and inclinations. May I 
fear no evil but that of being unworthy of thy re- 
gard ; may I seek no good so earnestly as thy fa- 
vour. May thy goodness and mercy follow me all 
the days of my life ; and may I so approve myself 



72 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

unto thee by my conduct, while in this state of 
probation, that I may dwell with thee for ever. 

Great as thou art, O Lord ! thou wilt hear my 
supplications and thanksgivings, if they are offered 
in spirit and in truth. Unto thee will my adora- 
tion be ever due, for thine is the kingdom, the 
power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen, 



REFLECTION. 

FRIDAY MORNING. 

" If ye love me, ye will keep my words." John xiv, 23. 

No one can read with attention the account 
which the Gospels present of the character of our 
Saviour, without feeling a high reverence for one 
who, in a mortal state, exhibited such a perfect ex- 
ample of virtue. But this reverence is very apt to 
lead men to forget the love they also owe to him, 
whose every act and word was prompted by the 
purest benevolence. Do I not find, when I read 
the New Testament, that while I feel astonish- 
ment and awe at the dignity of his character, I do 
not always bear in mind that my warmest affecti- 
ons ought to be interested in the narrative ? In the 
Son of God, endowed with supernatural power, 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 73 

stilling the storm, and subduing the elements to 
his will, speaking the awful messages of God, 
do I remember the Son of man, forgiving sins, 
pitying weaknesses, weeping at the tomb of his 
friend, and affectionately comforting those who 
were shortly to lose him ? In him who led cap- 
tivity captive, and broke the bonds of death, do 
I remember him who bore our griefs, and carried 
our sorrows, who was smitten for our transgres- 
sions, by whose stripes we are healed, and who 
therefore merits my warmest love and unceasing 
gratitude? How many motives should prompt 
me to the indulgence of these delightful feelings ! 
For me, as well as for my brethren of mankind, 
did he lay down his life, that we might obtain the 
knowledge of his truth, and, by that means, life 
everlasting. By his benevolent sacrifice of all 
that he might have enjoyed on earth, I, in common 
with millions more of my fellow-creatures, have the 
benefit of direction in difficulty, support under 
temptation, unfailiug comfort in sorrow, a joy 
which, though I possessed all that the world could 
afford, would make the world's gifts worthless in 
comparison, and a hope which in health, or in sick- 
ness, in life, or even in death, would enable me to 
possess my soul in peace, and to rejoice evermore. 
For his Gentile disciples of all countries, and in 

H 



74 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

all ages, he offered up a benevolent prayer; and 
surely if they seek, they shall obtain the blessings 
which he asked for them. If I feel grateful affec- 
tion for those friends, who, by their care and kind- 
ness, have given me the means of improvement, 
of maintenance, and enjoyment, what love ought 
I not to feel for him, to whom, next to my Maker, 
I owe the most valuable of all possessions and 
privileges ! On earth he is no longer seen ; but 
his voice still appeals to me in his gospel, to fol- 
low in his steps, to perfect myself by his example, 
and to fulfil his benevolent intentions, by being 
worthy of his love ! And shall he speak in vain I 
Shall the good Shepherd, with the voice of per- 
suasion and gentleness, offer to lead his flock to 
the green pastures, and still waters, and shall the 
sheep not hear his voice, but go astray, and be 
lost? O no! let me rather yield to his guidance, 
and joyfully accept his protection : let me love him 
on earth, and bless his name, and then shall I be 
admitted to companionship with him in heaven, 
where he will welcome those who have followed 
him to that state of glory and happiness. Feeble 
as my powers may be, I can yet do something to 
further his gracious designs for the good of man- 
kind. I may be able to cheer, with the light of 
heavenly truth, the mind darkened by guilt, error. 






DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 75 

or ignorance : I may be able, while relieving the 
afflicted, to point their view, in gratitude and con- 
fidence, to the giver of all good : I may lead some 
to the forgiveness of their sins by repentance : 
I may be a peace-maker between those whose 
angry passions had cherished discord : I may ex- 
cite those who suffer, to patience ; those who fear 
or despond, to cheerful reliance on him who raiseth 
up all that be bowed down ; or at least I may 
glorify the gospel, by showing its fruits of love, 
joy, and peace in believing, in my own character. 
If love, joy, and peace in believing, are the rewards 
of such conduct on earth, where we dwell in com- 
parative darkness, what must be the bliss reserved 
for the virtuous in the manifest presence of Him 
who created all men, and of him who was the means 
of leading them to life eternal, and who will reward 
with his love those who have been fellow-workers 
with him in promoting the happiness of mankind ! 
Let my fervent love and reverential obedience 
be ever given to him, whom, not having seen, I 
love ; in whom, though now I see him not, yet be- 
lieving, I rejoice, with joy unspeakable and full 
of glory. 



h2 



76 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

PRAYER, 

FRIDx\Y MORNING. 

O God, my heavenly Father, and my Almighty 
Protector ! again, at the return of day, are my 
thanksgivings due unto thee for thy watchful care 
during the hours of darkness. I laid me down in 
peace, and slept, for thou, OLord, sustainedstme. 
I awake in health and vigour, and my voice 
shall ascend unto thee in praise, and my renewed 
powers shall be devoted to thy service. Without 
thy protection I could not exist, surrounded as I 
am with dangers which I cannot avoid, and sub- 
ject to evils which I cannot foresee. But I will 
fear no evil while thou art with me ; for thou art 
my shepherd, and I shall not want any good thing. 
While I dwell on earth, thou lead est me to the 
green pastures, and beside the still waters ; thou 
wilt support me in the dark valley of the shadow 
of death ; and, if I truly seek thee, thou wilt be in 
heaven my eternal portion and everlasting light. 
With these animating hopes and promises, I will 
diligently strive to keep my soul from the snares of 
sin, and may thy grace be with me, to strengthen 
my virtuous resolutions, to invigorate my holy 
desires, and to render my heart a worthy temple 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 77 

for thee to dwell in. While I reflect with grati- 
tude on the rewards thou hast promised to obedi- 
ence, may the awful threatening^ of the gospel 
against sin make a deep impression on my soul. 
May I welcome all thy dispensations which may 
lead me from guilt, however painful they may be. 
May I remember that thy chastenings are designed 
to render me more worthy of thy love, and may 
this reflection lead me to bow myself to the stroke 
of sorrow, with perfect acquiescence in thy will. 
In the present season of youth, while my body and 
mind are in all their vigour, may I above all things 
fear to displease thee. While I am entering on 
the gay scenes of a beautiful world, may the words 
of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be 
such as thou wilt approve ; and when these gay 
scenes no longer charm, when pain and sickness 
assail me, do thou, O Lord, support and cheer 
me unto the end. 

I offer these prayers for all thy children of man- 
kind, as for myself. May the same hopes, the 
same consolations, be the portion of all : may all 
acknowledge thee as the universal Father, and 
Jesus Christ as the messenger of good tidings, 
and by his exalted virtues worthy of our warmest 
love, unceasing gratitude, and reverential obedi- 
ence, 

h3 



78 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

Merciful Father ! I will trust in thy continued 
protection, and desire, now and for ever, to as- 
cribe unto thee supreme honours and everlasting 
praises. Amen. 



REFLECTION. 

FRIDAY EVENING. 

u In my Father's house are many mansions : if it were not so, I 
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you : 
and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again 
and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye 
may be also." John xiv, 2, 3. 

il Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him 
day and night in His temple : and He that sitteth on the 
throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no 
more, neither thirst any more ; neither shall the sun light 
on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the 
midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them 
unto living fountains of waters : and God shall wipe away 
all tears from their eyes." Rev. vii, 15—17. 

It is natural for those who believe the promise 
of a future state of existence, to desire to learn as 
much as possible of what they are to expect in 
that state. They must wish to form some definite 
idea of the happiness to be enjoyed by the righte- 
ous, and the punishment to be inflicted on the 
sinful. In the holy volume which contains the 
promises of immortality, little is said which can 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 79 

satisfy this natural desire ; probably because the 
subject is too high for our comprehension, too 
vast for our imagination, while in this imperfect 
state of being. But it is right to meditate on the 
little information we can obtain, to familiarize 
our minds with the thoughts of heavenly things, 
that we may prevent their being fixed on the 
things of this world ; and because it is frequently 
neccessary in times of temptation, when the exer- 
cise of duty is difficult, to call in to ourselves the 
aid of future hopes and fears. Indeed it is diffi- 
cult for men to avoid thinking on a subject which 
is so nearly connected with every thing most 
important to them. Though they should be as 
careful as possible, not to make their own interest, 
even the highest interest, a motive for the prac- 
tice of virtue, yet it is necessary, at least in the 
beginning of the race, to think of the prize which 
is set before them, that if the feet should slide, if 
the strength should fail, if the virtuous efforts 
should be slackened, and heavenly ardour grow 
cold, the thoughts of the high reward promised to 
the righteous may inspire them with fresh vigour 
to press towards the mark. For this purpose there 
seems to be no reason why each one should not 
form what ideas are most agreeable to him, on the 
subject of the nature of the future happiness of the 



80 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

righteous, as long as his opinions are not incon- 
sistent with scripture declarations concerning it. 

As by these declarations I learn that holiness 
is the only qualification which will admit me into 
those happy regions, and as I know that even on 
earth the pleasures arising from its exercise are 
greater and more enduring than any others, I 
must conclude that the happiness of immortality 
consists principally in the nobler and more unim- 
peded exercise of virtue, and especially in the 
full employment of the highest affections with 
which man is endowed, in the manifest presence 
of God. Here, however heartfelt may be the 
reverence of Him, however warm and pure the 
sentiments of devotion may be, however diligent 
may be the efforts to keep Him in all the thoughts, 
yet the things of this world will sometimes intrude, 
the veil of flesh will sometimes intervene, to shut 
Him from our view. But we are told that, in 
heaven, God will be an everlasting light unto 
His people ; that He shall be with them, and shall 
be their God ; that those who are one in Jesus, 
shall be one in Him also. This must be the prin- 
cipal source of happiness; happiness pure as His 
holiness, stable as His throne, eternal as Himself. 
This happiness must include in it all arising from 
the exercise of virtue ; for none but the righteous 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 81 

can thus dwell with Him, in whose sight the 
wicked shall not stand, or of him who died, that 
he might redeem us from all iniquity, and who 
promised to his faithful followers that, where he 
is, there they shall be also. Oh, what a trans- 
porting prospect to the believer, in the midst of 
toils, temptations, and dangers, to contemplate 
that state where the dead, who die in the Lord, 
shall rest from their labours ; where the wicked 
cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest ; 
where he who was tempted like unto us, will have 
subdued all evil, even death itself; for he shall put 
all things under his feet, shall stand at the right 
hand of God, and for ever receive the grateful 
love of those whom he hath rescued from the 
power of sin, and brought into that happy kingdom. 
There faith shall be swallowed up in fruition ; 
there hope shall give place to certainty; but there 
Love shall find its noblest employment in commu- 
nion with the spirits of the just, each increasing 
the happiness of the others, by unimpeded inter- 
change of soul, by entire sympathy, by boundless 
love, resembling the delights of virtuous friendship 
on earth, but as much exceeding them as heaven 
is greater than earth. There may the desires of 
knowledge be gratified ; for then shall the veil be 
withdrawn which conceals from mortal eyes the 



82 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

mysteries of heaven ; then shall the dealings of 
God's providence be clearly revealed; there shall 
we no longer know in part, but shall know even 
as we are known. There shall memory dwell with 
tender delight on the past scenes of mortal life; 
shall rejoice in past sufferings ; shall be grateful 
for past trials ; and anticipation shall look forward 
to endless ages of still increasing happiness, of 
still improving virtue, of still nearer approxima- 
tion to the divine nature. With such transporting 
hopes and glorious promises to the righteous, 
however I may be exposed to earthly sorrow, I 
should possess my soul in patience, should yield 
myself up to the guidance of Religion, who will 
lead my feet into the way of peace, will roll away 
the clouds from the dark valley of the shadow of 
death, now visited by the day-spring from on high, 
and will disclose to my view the glories of that 
heavenly kingdom which I am called to inherit. 

I know not how soon I may be taken from my 
earthly pilgrimage ; how near may be my approach 
to the grave ; but if prepared, by the frequent 
contemplation of divine things, my soul will be 
ready at any moment to quit its earthly tenement, 
hoping that when the heavens and earth shall have 
been dissolved, when the glory of the sun, the 
glory of the moon, and the glory of the stars, shall 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES, 83 

have passed away ; when terrestrial shall have 
given way to celestial glory ; when the body that 
is sown in corruption, shall be raised in incorrup- 
tion ; when that which is sown in dishonour, shall 
be raised in glory; when that which is sown in 
weakness, shall be raised in power; when that 
which is sown a natural body, shall be raised a 
spiritual body ; when death is swallowed up in 
victory; I may join with an innumerable company 
of angels, with the general assembly and church 
of the first-born, with the spirits of just men made 
perfect, and with Jesus the Mediator of the New 
Covenant, in saying with one voice, " Alleluia! 
for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth." 



PRAYER. 

FRIDAY EVENING. 

O Lord God Almighty ! to whom only honour 
and glory are due, may my humble tribute of 
thanks and praises be acceptable in thy sight. 
How continually renewed are thy mercies, and 
how unceasing thy care for thy earthly offspring ! 
Every morning I awake, blessed by thy bounty; 
every evening I lay me down, and sleep in peace, 



84 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

guarded from fear, evil, and danger, by thy pro- 
tection. O may each day be spent in thy service; 
and whenever I retire to rest, may it be with the 
peaceful consciousness of having advanced in the 
Christian course, and risen in thy favour. May I 
remember that each time when I address my 
prayers to thee, I have advanced nearer to the 
end of life, and to the hour of judgment : and 
may this remembrance quicken my diligence, and 
inspire me with fresh desires to work the work 
thou hast given me to do, while it is yet day, that, 
when the night of death shall overtake me, I may 
be prepared to await the awful judgment into 
which all my deeds shall be brought, whether they 
be good or whether they be evil. May I reflect 
continually on the duties I must perform. May 
my sense of thy presence, leading me to watchful- 
ness against evil, my respect, love, and charity, 
to those who surround me, my diligent endeavours 
to improve in all useful acquirements, testify unto 
thee my sincere desire to become worthy of thy 
favour. Do thou, O Lord ! watch over me, I en- 
treat thee ; pour into my mind the light of thy 
truth; encourage my virtuous endeavours; and 
enable me to avoid that which is evil. Thou 
knowest that I desire holiness above all things ; 
do thou then, I beseech thee, lead me to be holy 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 85 

like unto my blessed Saviour. May I repine at 
no means that thou mayst appoint for this end. 
If affliction shall weigh heavily upon me, may it 
be sanctified unto me by rendering my heart purer 
and better. May I thus be prepared for that 
happy state, the glories of which it is good to con- 
template, O may I be admitted into that ever- 
lasting kingdom. May I cherish love to thee, 
and to my fellow-creatures, believing that the 
indulgence of these affections will form my happi- 
ness in heaven. May my views ever be turned 
towards the end of life; and may I watch, knowing 
not the day and the hour when I may be called 
out of this world. 

I humbly ask these things, O God ! trusting 
that thou wilt grant those which are good, and 
withhold those which will be hurtful : and, with 
full and cheering confidence in thy mercy, I 
ascribe unto thee all glory, honour, and praise, for 
ever. Amen. 



86 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

REFLECTION- 
SATURDAY MORNING. 

" Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high- 
minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living 
God, who giveth us all things richly to enjoy." I. Tim. vi, 17. 

" Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and 
all these things shall be added unto you." Matt, xiv, 33. 

How common is it for men to speak of the 
uncertainty of all worldly possessions and plea- 
sures ! and indeed it would be difficult for them 
to avoid being convinced of this truth, while so 
many instances occur under the observation of 
every one. Yet who would suppose, from the 
conduct of most men, that such is their conviction? 
Who would think that the same beings, who 
eagerly strive to obtain wealth, pleasures, or 
worldly honours, were aware of their transitory 
nature ? Even those who seek after better things 
also, are liable to the same folly. Young as I 
am, I can perceive the instability of all that be- 
longs to this world, and the necessity of providing 
for myself a future store of happiness, if I wish 
to enjoy it permanently. The joung are very apt 
to rely on the continuance of present comforts ; 






DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES, 87 

and to forget, because they now possess them, 
that they ever may feel their loss. But I have 
been warned against this delusion ; and, to impress 
the warning more forcibly on my mind, let me 
consider the value of these blessings, and the pro- 
bability of their continuance. 

Life itself is the greatest of all blessings, and 
the means by which we enjoy all others. It has 
been given to me with the power of spending it 
happily here, and of perpetuating it to all eternity. 
But how are these purposes to be answered ? Not 
by grasping the unsatisfactory pleasures which we 
must for ever relinquish with mortal life ; not by 
gratifying unworthy propensities, or forgetting the 
Giver of life itself. He may in a moment deprive 
me of it : while, believing that I have much goods 
laid up for many years, that very day my life may 
be required of me. I ought therefore to make 
my life subservient to obtaining salvation ; and 
to be ready willingly to resign it, whenever its 
Author shall recall his gift. 

Health is not only an important possession in 
itself, but adds great value to most others. But 
what is more uncertain ? What tenure is more 
precarious ? Those whom I see one day in full 
health, revelling in all the enjoyments of a beau- 
tiful world, happy and gay, on the next are 

12 



88 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

stretched on the bed of pain : the good finding 
peace in more stable pleasures ; the wicked seeking 
comfort, and finding none. Let me mark the 
sunken eye, the faded cheek, the agonizing coun- 
tenance, and remember that, though the grass 
withereth, and the flower fadeth, the word of the 
Lord shall stand for ever ; and on that word, as on 
an unshaken rock, will I build my hope. 

Riches, we are told, "take to themselves wings, 
and fly away f and with them depart the luxuries 
of life, power, rank, the applause of the world, 
and also, in part, the more valuable pleasures of 
leisure, ease, and the means of doing good. 
Wealth is indeed valuable to those who estimate 
it properly ; but it is by no means necessary to 
happiness ; for we brought nothing into this world, 
and it is certain we can carry nothing out. It 
will be true wisdom, therefore, to make myself 
as independent as possible of the external things 
of life, to know how to abound, and to suffer 
need ; to learn, in whatever state I am, therewith 
to be content. However I may be situated, let 
me remember that they who will be rich fall into 
temptation and a snare; for the love of money is 
the root of ail evil, which those who covet after, 
err from the faith, and pierce themselves through 
with many sorrows. 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES, 89 

Fleeting and transitory as these things are, 
pleasures are to be found on earth, which may be 
cherished and enjoyed to the utmost ; as they are 
neither displeasing to God, nor liable to end in 
the grave. Such are the delights of virtuous 
friendship, of companionship with the wise and 
good, of obtaining knowledge, especially that 
which may make me wise unto salvation, and of 
the indulgence of the benevolent affections, which 
will all probably form a part of the happiness of 
the righteous hereafter. Let such be the objects 
of my care, as T pass through life, at the same time 
enjoying with thankfulness and moderation the 
pleasures with which an indulgent Father may see 
fit to strew my path. Instead of prizing chiefly 
the mortal years, which are but as yesterday, when 
it is past, as a watch in the night, as a sleep, as 
the grass which groweth up in the morning, in the 
evening is cut down and withereth, let me desire 
the life of which there shall be no end. Instead 
of the unsatisfactory pursuits of this world, let 
me seek after the fulness of joy which is in the 
presence of God, and the pleaures which are at 
His right hand for evermore. Instead of trusting 
in uncertain riches, let me lay up for myself 
a treasure in the heavens, which faileth not, 
Instead of unhallowed and tumultuous earthly 

i 3 



90 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES, 

joys, let me seek after the peace of God which 
passeth all understanding, in which He will keep 
those who loye Him. 



PRAYER. 

SATURDAY MORNING. 

God of my life, from whom I derive my being, 
and to whom therefore I owe all gratitude and 
praise, reverence and love, again do I approach 
thy presence with deep humility, but with strong 
confidence in thy continued mercy. Amidst the 
perils of the day, and the darkness of the night, 
thy strong arm shall be my protection : in gladness, 
thy love shall be my chief joy ; and in sorrow, I 
will put my trust in thee. I ask not for riches, 
honour, or any of the splendid gifts of this world ; 
for thou only knowest whether they are good for 
me; but, shouldst thou see fit to bestow them, may 
they be used to glorify thee. If thou givest me 
wealth, may it be employed in alleviating the ills 
of poverty to the needy; and, instead of seeking 
my own indulgence, may I remember how the 
Lord Jesus said, " It is more blessed to give than 
to receive." If honour in this world should be 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 91 

mine, may I endeavour, with all the influence I 
possess, to lead men to think of thee, and to 
become faithful followers of thy son Jesus Christ, 
Whatever be my lot, may I lay up a treasure in 
the heavens that faileth not ; that no changes of 
mortal life may destroy my hopes of happiness. 
May the continual vicissitudes of life teach me to 
fix my desires only on thee, the Rock of Ages. 
May the instances of death, sickness, and poverty, 
which every where surround me, render me grate- 
ful that thou hast continued to grant me the 
blessings of life, health, food, raiment, and a 
habitation wherein to dwell ; and that thou hast 
preserved to me the pleasures of intercourse with 
virtuous kindred and friends, and the means of 
improvement in piety and holiness. May I never 
forget that I must lose these blessings ; that I, like 
all thy children of mankind, must descend into 
the tomb, and quit the busy scenes of life, to 
appear in judgment before thee, the all-righteous 
God. Oh ! when that day shall arrive, may I com- 
mend my soul in peace unto thee, as unto a 
faithful Creator.. May no doubts of thy tender 
mercy ever disturb my mind ; may I repent with 
sincerity of all my transgressions, and put unfailing 
confidence in the promises which thou hast re- 
vealed by thy son Jesus Christ. By the example 



92 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

of him who, pure and holy himself, pitied our 
sorrows, and compassionated our frailties, may I 
qualify myself for obtaining* thy approbation : by 
his instructions may I uniformly regulate my 
conduct; and in his name, and as his disciple, may 
I ever, with sincere humility and love, ascribe 
unto thee all honour and praise, both now and 
for evermore. Amen. 



REFLECTION. 

SATURDAY EVENING. 

" The end of all things draweth near: be ye therefore sober, 

and watch unto prayer." I. Pet. iv, 7. 
" For what is your life ? It is even as a vapour, which appeareth 

for a little time, and then vanisheth away." James iv, 14. 

No reflection is more common than that life is 
short, and that time flies fast. The virtuous, the 
sinful, the rich, the poor, the humble and indus- 
trious, the proud and ambitious, all complain that 
the portion of time allotted to them is too short for 
the fulfilment of their schemes. But life is made 
long enough, and suited to its important work, by 
a wise God and indulgent Father. Scarcely any 
portion of time would satisfy the desires of the 
wordly man, who, the more schemes he plans, 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 93 

the more he becomes attached to the world, and 
unwilling to leave it. He may not have time to 
secure all the wealth, honours, and power, which 
he tries to grasp ; but the humble Christian, how- 
ever short may be his term of existence, has time 
enough to secure the joys of a more enduring 
world. 

But, however sufficient the time appointed me 
on earth, for the obtaining of salvation, may be, 
if properly employed, it will be short indeed, if I 
am negligent of my duties, and forgetful of my 
obligations. Another week has now elapsed ; a 
portion of time in which much may be done to 
improve the mind, and forward the soul on its 
christian course. Have I properly improved this 
important portion of time? Whatever I have 
done, I might have done more. I am conscious 
of having wasted a part of it in unprofitable 
thoughts and discourse ; in too great attention to 
trifling circumstances, and in forgetfulness of my 
important destination. If the same time had been 
spent in obtaining useful knowledge, or in maturing 
by reflection the store already possessed ; in me- 
ditating on the will of God, and thus enabling my- 
self the better to perform it ; in censuring my own 
faults, instead of those of others; in raising my 
desires, and subduing my unworthy inclinations ; 



94 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

in making every circumstance, however small, 
conducive to my improvement ; how great would 
have been my progress, compared with what it has 
been ! Let me lose no more of a life, short indeed, 
but yet long enough for the work I have to do, if 
I employ its smaller as well as larger portions 
conscientiously. I am now at the most import- 
ant period of life, when virtuous habits must be 
fixed, or it will be too late; and therefore time, 
always valuable, is now peculiarly so; for the loss 
of time differs from most other losses, in the im- 
possibility of retrieving it : once gone, it is gone 
for ever. If I were spared to the latest possible 
hour of human existence, no length of life could 
make up for the loss of any of the valuable days 
of youthful activity. And who can tell that my 
period of life will be long ? Who can tell that I 
may not be called from this world in a few months, 
days, or even hours ? And how shall I appear 
before my Judge, if I have wasted the most valu- 
able of the many talents He has consigned to my 
care ? If I do not diligently improve every hour, 
this must be my fearful reflection whenever I am 
about to leave this world. I know that no know- 
ledge or device is found in the grave ; that, as I 
die, so I must appear before God ; and I ought 
already to have advanced far in that holiness which 



DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 95 

should enable me to present myself, as I am com- 
manded, spotless and unrebukable in His sight. 
I have long been taught what is my duty to God, 
what He requires of me, and what I have to ex- 
pect from Him. Possessing this knowledge, and 
being favoured with so many means of improve- 
ment to myself, and usefulness to others, let me 
not pass my days in the gratification of unworthy 
desires, which will soon cease to afford pleasure, 
and will leave behind nothing but regret and mor- 
tification. Let me rather yield the reasonable 
service of my powers to the God who gave them ; 
let me now, while it is in my power to form my 
tastes, and to institute good habits, have continu- 
ally in view the purpose for which I was created ; 
let me educate myself for that endless state of 
existence which is placed in my view ; let me 
encourage on earth the desires whose gratification 
will form my happiness in heaven. Let me in 
life strive to make every thought, word, and deed, 
an act of devotion, from the motives which influ- 
ence me : while truly meek and humble, let my 
light so shine before men, that, seeing my good 
deeds, they may glorify their Father in heaven. 
Thus shall I pass through the changing scenes 
of life, whether prosperous or adverse, possessing 
an inward peace which passeth all understanding, 



98 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

undisturbed by apprehension or remorse : thus 
shall I tranquilly await the stroke of death, pre- 
pared for its approach, whether it arrive early or 
late ; seeing no horrors in the darkness of the 
tomb, and not fearing to enter the eternal world 
which shall afterwards be revealed : thus shall I 
be enabled to stand before my Judge, with awe 
indeed, but without the dreadful consciousness of 
guilt : and thus may I hope to hear the blessed 
sentence, " Come thou blessed of my Father, 
inherit the kingdom prepared for thee from the 
foundation of the world." 

Further than this it is not permitted for mortal 
view to penetrate into the mysteries of heaven : 
but I know that happiness, greater than eye hath ' 
seen, or ear heard, or than it hath entered into 
the heart of man to conceive, is reserved for those 
who, by patient continuance in well doing, seek 
for glory, honour, and immortality. 



PRAYER. 

SATURDAY EVENING. 



O thou, great and glorious being ! in whom 
our life is, and whose are all our ways, thou art 
from everlasting to everlasting, and shalt never 






DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 97 

change. From thee I have derived my being, 
and unto thee, therefore, is the tribute of my 
adoration due. 

Once more have I been preserved during the 
week, and again am I permitted to look forward 
to the pleasures of the day of rest. I thank thee, 

Lord ! for all thy goodness, and especially that 

1 have been blest with the glad tidings of salvation. 
By them am I enabled to surmount temptation, 
to endure sorrow with cheerfulness, to taste the 
delights of gratitude, when in the enjoyment of 
prosperity, and amidst all the changes of life, to 
look forward to a state of unvarying happiness. 
As week after week of my mortal life passeth 
away, may I become more and more fitted for 
that eternal existence, on which I must soon enter. 
May I waste none of the hours which thou hast 
given me to prepare for judgment : may I never 
forget that thou requirest me to become holy, just, 
and good ; not loving the vain things of this 
world, but desiring chiefly to please and glorify 
thee. I know that all who diligently seek thee 
may find thy support and favour at all times on 
earth, and may dwell in thy manifest presence in 
Heaven. O Lord ! enable me to prepare myself 
to appear before thee, whether I be taken early 
or late from my mortal pilgrimage. If but a short 

K 



98 DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES. 

time yet remaineth to me, may I purify my heart, 
and exalt my affections, so that I may not fear to 
enter on another state of being. If many months 
and years are allotted me in this life, may I 
diligently labour, as long as I live, to please thee. 
May no long possession of worldly happiness 
make me unmindful of thee, the Giver of all good ; 
but may I be a worthy instrument of thy benevo- 
lence, in promoting the best interests of mankind. 
I pray for myself, and all whom I love, that 
thou wilt continue unto us the same gracious 
protection which hath hitherto guarded us from 
evil. May we sleep in peace this night, and arise 
in the morning prepared to spend the holy day so 
as to nourish and strengthen our hearts in all 
pious and benevolent dispositions. May we ever 
put our confidence in thee alone, the universal 
Father; and may thy best blessings be the portion 
of all thy children of mankind. May the glad 
tidings of salvation be universally diffused, and 
gratefully received. May thy will at length be 
done on earth, as it is in heaven ; and when this 
world and the things of it shall have passed away, 
may the countless millions of beings, who by thy 
mercy shall have become heirs of eternal life, 
surround thy throne, praising thee, their Creator, 
God, and Father, for ever and ever. Amen. 



A TREATISE 



THE LORD'S SUPPER. 



Being frequently led to lament the very striking 
and common neglect of attendance on the Lord's 
Supper, and believing that neglect to proceed 
from causes which would be easily removed, were 
the subject properly understood, I am desirous of 
giving a plain and simple account of the institution 
of this ordinance, and of the reasons which render 
the observance of it obligatory upon all professing 
Christians. I shall take my view of it from the 
scripture representation alone, without reference 
to any different modes of belief, or varieties of 
celebration, in different churches : and I must 
request that my readers will, with me, attentively 
compare the passages of scripture which contain 
any instructions on the subject, and that they will 
divest their minds of prejudice, before they pro- 
ceed to an examination of a point on which it is 
of great importance to every follower of Christ to 
entertain right opinions. 

k 2 



100 A TREATISE ON THE 

We will first inquire what is the simple object 
of the Institution of the Lord's Supper : we will 
then consider the obligation upon all professing 1 
Christians to attend upon it ; its beneficial ten- 
dency in uniting the social with the religious 
affections ; the meaning of Paul's expression " par- 
taking unworthily," which has deterred many 
through fear ; and lastly, the views and feeling 
with which an attendance on this rite should be 
accompanied. 

When Jesus was about to be separated from 
his apostles, the night before his crucifixion, and 
while he was observing the feast of the Passover 
with them, he took bread, blessed it, and brake it, 
and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take, eat; 
this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave 
thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all 
of it ; for this is my blood of the New Testament 
(or, more properly, Covenant) which is shed for 
many, for the remission of sins." Such is the 
relation given in the Gospels of Matthew and 
Mark. Luke adds the clause, " This do in remem- 
brance of me." Paul also says (I. Cor. xi, 26), 
" For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink 
this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." 
The object of this institution, then, clearly is, that 
men should keep in memory the death of Jesus, 



lord's supper. 101 

and the manner of it ; be reminded of the sacrifices 
he made to secure their salvation, acknowledge 
themselves his followers ; and also that they should 
feel as brethren, while they unite in commemo- 
rating the death of their Lord and Saviour. As 
long as these objects are kept in view, and the 
feast is partaken of with right feelings and inten- 
tions, the outward forms attending it are of little 
importance. There have probably been as many 
different modes of performing the ceremony as 
there have been different churches ; and we have 
reason to believe that all are efficacious. If the 
outward form had been of any importance, some 
instructions would probably have been given in 
the gospel for our guidance ; but as there are 
none, and as Paul does not mention this part 
of the subject, we may conclude that, if conducted 
decently and in order, the time and place of 
celebration, the quality of the bread and wine, 
the posture in which it is received, and other such 
particulars, are matters of indifference. Neither 
should Christians indulge any scruples on points 
like these : for if they would think on the end and 
object of the Institution, they would perceive that 
the feelings of the heart excited by it, and not the 
outward circumstances, constitute its efficacy. 
That this establishment was intended to be per- 



102 A TREATISE ON THE 

manent, is evident from the expression of Paul, 
" for as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this 
cup, ye do shew forth the Lord's death till he come." 
He also mentions having " received of the Lord" 
his knowledge of the ordinance which sanctions 
what he says concerning it. It seems, therefore, 
intended to be a bond of union between Christ and 
his disciples, and between his disciples themselves, 
till the end of the world ; that his death and resur- 
rection may be had in everlasting remembrance ; 
and that all men may be reminded of a rite handed 
down from Jesus himself, that they owe the means 
of salvation to him. And is it possible that any 
Christians should refuse to be thus reminded of the 
most valuable blessings which have ever been 
granted to the race of man ? Is is possible that 
they should not wish to take every opportunity of 
putting in their claim to fellowship with Christ, of 
owning themselves his followers in the most une- 
quivocal manner? Such cannot be aware that at- 
tendance on the Lord's supper is a positive duty, 
shewn to be so both by a command and by the 
practice of the early Christians, who should be 
examples to us in such respects, as, from their liv- 
ing nearer the time of the gospel revelation, their 
knowledge of all things concerning it was more 
clear and indisputable than ours.— If we had no 






lord's supper. 103 

such command, if we had no knowledge of such a 
precedent, yet the means which this ordinance 
affords of reminding us of our obligations, our 
duties, and our blessings, are inducements enough 
to lead us to the table of Jesus, are enforcements 
of a positive duty. We are going wrong, when 
we neglect any means of grace ; we are rejecting 
God's gifts, when we reject an opportunity of 
strengthening religious impressions, or of quick- 
ening religious feeling; and how much more, when 
we forget the command, " This do in remembrance 
of me ;" when we slight the intimation, that thus 
the Lord's death is to be shown till he come, when 
we disregard the example of the early Christians, 
thus virtually declaring that they are no guides for 
us ! Is this acting according to our internal con- 
victions, or according to our knowledge ? Do we 
believe that we may please ourselves in this matter? 
Do we believe that the practice was to be con- 
fined to the apostles I Then why did the Corinthian 
converts,, sanctioned by Paul, join in it? Do 
we believe that it was to cease in a succeeding 
age ? Where is the command which authorized 
its cessation ? Or was it only made use of as a 
means of improvement, by those of weak and 
wavering virtue ? If so, we have no right to con- 
sider ourselves so strong, but that we may fall, if 



104 A TREATISE ON THE 

we do not seize upon every support to our best 
principles and feelings. We cannot believe that 
though obligatory upon some Christians of the 
present day, it is not upon all ; for if, as has been 
remarked, it was intended to be a permanent 
establishment, it is evident that it cannot be con- 
fined to any one class of Christians, but that all 
should join in the communion " till the Lord 
come." The provision for its being permanent, 
is also a provision for its being universal. It is 
a kind of distinguishing badge of our religious 
profession, and no one can in every way have 
declared himself a follower of Christ, who has 
not made this peculiar acknowledgment of being 
his disciple. Jesus positively commanded his disci- 
ples to commemorate him by this observance : Paul, 
afterwards, having his knowledge of it from the 
Lord, speaks of its continuance till the coming 
of Jesus ; and shews that the practice, though 
partially corrupted, was adopted by the first Christ- 
ians : and what authority can be opposed to these? 
what excuse can be found for the neglect of an or- 
dinance so established ? Is it from thoughtlessness ? 
How is thoughtlessness to be excused on a subject 
of such importance as this ? How is it that an ordi- 
nance so striking, and yet so simple ; so awakening 
the feelings, and yet so tranquilly influencing 



lord's supper. 105 

the mind ; so interesting from the light in which it 
exhibits the character of Jesus, and so inspiring to 
those who may thus claim fellowship with him ; 
should not excite attention, and awaken reflection? 
If any of the Gospel institutions find interest in the 
mind, surely this must; if the Christian religion 
exerts any power over the soul, if its instructions 
and truths are ever dwelt upon, surely this most 
beautiful rite cannot be forgotten. If the sacred 
records are ever perused, this portion of them must 
be one of the first to engage the attention. What 
Christian has ever neglected to meditate on the 
birth of Jesus with thanksgiving, in his own mind 
at least ? What Christian has ever forgotten that 
Jesus fed the five thousand in the wilderness, or has 
withheld his admiration of the wonderful power and 
thoughtful benevolence by which the miracle was 
caused and wrought? Who has not tenderly felt, on 
reading that he commended his bereaved mother to 
the care of his loved disciple? Who has not thought 
over every circumstance of his agony and death ? 
Who has not had every feeling awakened by the 
tenderness of his last discourse to his apostles ? 
And is it possible that the beautiful scene which 
took place at that very time should be passed over 
without notice? Think of Jesus establishing a 
simple rite, which should be perpetuated till his 



106 A TREATISE ON THE 

second coming ; one which should unite all his 
disciples in the profession of one faith, and in the 
bands of Christian brotherhood ; which should, at 
each celebration, recall to their minds the love he 
testified for them, in dying for the remission of 
their sins ; and which should at the same time carry 
forward their views to the time when he should 
again appear, to accept the services of his true fol- 
lowers ; and then say if a more touching picture 
was ever presented to the mind — if a more heart- 
stirring subject of meditation was ever offered to 
the thoughts. I cannot believe that any one, in 
whose soul religion has any place, can neglect this 
observance from thoughtlessness alone; if so, it is 
a criminal thoughtlessness. Much the same may 
be said of indolence, if any there be who are neg- 
lectful of this duty from such a cause. But neglect 
from indolence is deserving of still greater censure, 
inasmuch as those who are aware of their obliga- 
tions, and yet discharge them not, are more blame- 
worthy than those who have never thought on the 
subject. 

Some dislike any thing in the form of outward 
ceremony in religion. They think that worship 
should be as much as possible freed from forms, 
and imagine that ceremony ever brings hypocrisy 
in its train. It is not surprising that such should 



lord's supper. 107 

be the feelings of those who have observed the 
dreadful evils resulting from a mode of religion 
conducted almost entirely by outward symbols, 
and the many miseries arising from superstition, 
which changed all Christendom from an asylum 
for the pure religion of Jesus to the grave of all 
spiritual worship, the prison-house of all freedom 
of soul, the dwelling-place of all cruel and feroci- 
ous passions, the den of wolves in sheep's clothing, 
who destroyed the innocent, and persecuted the as- 
piring spirits who sought to establish a better state 
of things. Well indeed may any one dread the 
revival of superstition like this : but what resem- 
blance is there between the masses, fasts, and feasts, 
the pompous ceremonies of the Romish Church, 
and the simple unostentatious rite of eating bread 
and drinking wine, in Christian fellowship, in 
remembrance of Jesus. Here no one is set above 
his brother, no one pretends to the power of forgiv- 
ing sins, no one believes himself to personate him, 
who first assembled his disciples around the board. 
No imposing forms, no proud displays of magnifi- 
cence can here find place : here is no incentive to 
superstition, no temptation to hypocrisy ; but those 
who wish to be followers of Jesus in all things 
assemble, with glowing and thankful hearts, to tes- 
tify their love and gratitude to the Captain of their 



108 A TREATISE ON THE 






salvation, to feed the flame of charity, by mutual 
participation in the same feelings, hopes, and pro- 
spects. What is there in this to alarm the most 
sincere and simple believer ? What more of cere- 
mony is there in this than in any other mode of pub- 
lic worship, or commemoration of Christian bless- 
ings ? If any kind of public worship be instituted, 
there must be some form : if any form be innocent, 
this must be innocent. The dislike of useless cere- 
mony, and the dread of consequent hypocrisy, are 
most praiseworthy, and are the tokens of a sincere 
heart, and a pure and honest love of truth : but let 
them not be carried to such an extreme as to cause 
the neglect of an important religious duty. 

Is it possible that some disregard this duty from 
fear of a consequent obligation to lead a strictly 
religious life ? It is generally believed that attend- 
ance at the Lord's table is a more direct avowal 
of Christian faith than any other ; and it is well 
that it should be so considered by those who com- 
municate, if they feel it an additional inducement 
to live a life, holy, harmless, and undefiled ; but it 
can be no motive to deter those who in any other 
way profess to be Christians. Those who make 
it their practice to attend on any of the appointed 
public services of God, those who hearken to the 
records of the deeds and instructions of Christ, 



lord's supper. 109 

and above all those who pray in his name, and as 
his disciples pledge themselves to follow him, as 
much as those who more immediately participate in 
the celebration of the service instituted by him. 
If they will not venture to devote themselves com- 
pletely and entirely, let them not dare to enter, as 
worshippers, the house of God ; let them not dare to 
assume the title of Christians ; let them not dare to 
pray in the name of Jesus. If they feel themselves 
unable to shake off the trammels of the world, let 
them remember that the soul in bondage to earthly 
things is no more fit to be a dweller in the courts 
of God, than a guest at the table of the Lord Jesus. 
Of all the possible motives for neglecting this duty, 
this is the least excusable. It is meanly and use- 
lessly denying Jesus in one way, while he is ac- 
knowledged in another : it is fearing to bear his 
yoke, and yet hoping to be thought a Christian : it 
is weakness and cowardice, instead of the fervency 
of spirit, the fearlessness of all things, which 
should be the characteristics of the Christian. 

There is yet another class, whose reasons for not 
attending the communion should be mentioned and 
combated with gentleness and indulgence. Their 
scruples proceed from fear, but from a totally dif- 
ferent kind of fear from that which has just been 
strongly censured : a fear, not of being obliged to lay 

L 



110 A TREATISE ON THE 

a restraint on the passions, to resign some favourite 
indulgence, or to subdue some sinful but strong- 
inclination ; but a fear of being unworthy to sit at 
the table of Jesus, a fear of polluting the feast, by 
bringing to it a heart not sufficiently purified, a soul 
not enough devoted, These humble believers stand 
at a distance, longing to join in the sacred cere- 
mony, wishing thus to testify their love to the 
Author of their salvation, feeling that their hearts 
would be impressed, softened, and improved ; and 
yet, not daring to approach, from the dread of pre- 
sumption and of profaning the holy ordinance, by 
partaking unworthily. Such scruples can scarcely 
be treated too leniently ; for, though erring, they are 
erring on the right side. But let us examine the 
grounds of this distrust ; and remove, if we can, the 
barrier which separates these humble Christians 
from the table of communion. The origin of this 
mistaken fear was probably Paul's declaration 
concerning those who partake unworthily, which is 
found in I. Cor. xi, in which he writes much on the 
subject, in consequence of intelligence which he 
had received concerning the mode of celebration at 
Corinth. It appears that abuses of various kinds 
had crept in among the converts there, for Paul 
prefaces his rebuke by saying " Now in this I 
declare unto you that I praise you not, that ye come 



lord's supper. Ill 

not together for the better, but for the worse :" 
when, after mentioning the divisions among them 
which had taken place, he goes on to blame them 
for the irreverent manner in which the Lord's sup- 
per was partaken of, they having transformed this 
sacred assembly into a riotous meeting for feasting 
and drunkenness. " For, in eating, everyone taketh 
before other his own supper; and one is hungry, 
and another is drunken." "What !" says the apostle, 
" have ye not houses to eat and to drink in ? or 
despise ye the church of God, and shame them that 
have not ? What shall I say to you ? Shall I praise 
you in this ? I praise you not." He then gives the 
account which he ' ■ received of the Lord" of the 
simple institution of the ordinance, byway of show- 
ing the sinful irreverence of which the Corinthian 
converts had been guilty ; and reminds them that it 
was for the purpose of shewing the Lord's death 
that they were assembled, and, therefore, that those 
who ate and drank thus unworthily, incurred the 
blame of irreverent disregard to the symbolical re- 
presentation of the shedding of Christ's blood, and 
the breaking of his body on the cross ; and further 
declares that those who were thus guilty, brought 
condemnation on themselves, not being mindful of 
the purpose for which they were assembled. He 
desires, therefore, that no one should attend for the 

l2 



112 A TREATISE ON THE 

indulgence of his appetites, but " that those who 
hunger should eat at home," that they might " not 
come together unto condemnation." He also desires 
that they should examine themselves, what were 
their views and intentions, and what was the state 
of their feelings, on joining in this communion, and 
" so let them eat of that bread, and drink of that 
cup." " For if we would judge ourselves, we should 
not be judged." Further than this he mentions no 
necessary qualification — he requires no especial 
preparation : having enjoined a reverent frame of 
mind, and reprobated only the excesses, sinful at 
any time, and more especially on such an occasion, 
he leaves the approach to the communion table 
open to all, distinguishing no privileged class, 
denouncing none as unworthy. Surely ,if any were 
presumptuously and impiously joining the number 
of communicants, he would have noticed so great 
an abuse, instead of leaving all other things to be set 
in order when he visited them. We no where find 
any futher instructions than these ; nor does it ap- 
pear that any more peculiar preparation is required 
for this, than for any other religious service. It is 
doubtless wrong to enter upon any act of worship, 
with a careless, indifferent, irreverent, or unpre- 
pared, mind ; but it can never be more wrong than in 
the public, stated, services for the worship of God, 



lord's supper, 113 

though from their frequent recurrence, and our 
consequent familiarity with them, we think less 
about them. Any one who is worthy to enter the 
house of God, and to join in prayer to Him, must 
be worthy to take his place among the disciples of 
Jesus, for the sake of gratefully remembering the 
sacrifices he made for all men. Let these scrupu- 
lous Christians settle in their own minds what is the 
object of the ordinance. Is there any thing further 
than what has been declared ? Is there any secret 
mystery ; — any thing beyond the comprehension of 
the communicant? We hear of nothing of the kind 
in the record from which the practice is derived. 
Is any peculiar preparation requisite ? On the con- 
trary it was the custom of the early Christians, 
whenever they found themselves together, to cele- 
brate this rite simply, fearlessly, and without pre- 
paration. Must those who partake, have already 
attained the holiness and purity of Jesus, or of his 
Apostles? If so, Paul would have forbidden the 
continuance of a practice, in which the Corinthian 
converts were so unworthy to join. Must all possess 
a sincere desire to communicate worthily, a grate- 
ful love and reverence for their Saviour, and a heart 
desiring to devote itself to God ? They must ; and 
these are the qualifications possessed by those who 
conscientiously entertain the scruples I have been 

l5 



114 A TREATISE ON THE 

endeavouring to combat. These are the only neces- 
sary requisites ; and possessing these, let the hum- 
ble disciple, his heart glowing with the love which 
casteth out fear, draw near with his fellow-christ- 
ians to bless the memory of his Saviour, claim his 
part in the new covenant of God with his people, 
and to draw closer the bond which connects him 
with his fellow-disciples, by participation in the 
most important of hopes and promises. Let him 
be assured that though his service be imperfect, 
it yet shall be accepted, if offered with sincerity 
of heart : and with these dispositions he will derive 
great improvement, as well as high and pure grati- 
fication, from the celebration of this most interest- 
ing and beautiful ordinance. 

Having thus brought forward and endeavoured 
to obviate the objections commonly made by non- 
communicating christians, we will now turn our 
attention to the great advantages and pleasures 
belonging to this institution : for it is right to 
consider the benefits which result from it, as well 
as the duty of attendance upon it. One of the 
greatest of these advantages arises from the 
beneficial union of the social with the religious 
affections ; a union which takes place in all acts 
of social worship, but in none so peculiarly as in 
this. Here we meet to think of the blessings 



lord's supper. 115 

secured to all and each of us, by one who, bearing" 
the same nature, undergoing mortal sorrows, ex- 
posed to temptation like ourselves, sympathized 
in our griefs, gave us precepts to guide us in 
difficulty, inducements to overcome temptation, 
and an example which we might follow ; and who 
finally died, to finish the great work he had under- 
taken, to secure to us the means of salvation. 
What can be a greater inducement to love one 
another than the feelings of sympathy in reverence 
and gratitude to our common Saviour? In this 
all men have a common interest. Here there is 
no distinction of rich and poor. No pride of 
rank, of wealth, or honours, or even of virtue, can 
here find place, for here all are equally the humble 
followers of Jesus, and under God, indebted to 
him for the blessings they commemorate. Here, 
those who at all other times are thrown apart 
by every combination of circumstances, meet 
under the same roof, sit at the same table, par- 
take of the same feast, are bound together by 
the strong tie of mutual rejoicing. The rich man, 
who at other times receives the deference of all 
who approach him, who commands what he wills, 
and it is done, who distributes his wealth, and 
hears only the thanks of those whom he hath 
blessed, and who gives without need of receiving' 



116 A TREATISE ON THE 

from man, here acknowledges bis utter poverty 
unless he receive from God, his infinite obligations 
to his Saviour for the most valuable blessings ; 
here he appears a humble suppliant for the benefits 
secured to men by the new covenant, neither above 
nor below his fellow-worshippers in the rank of 
beings, but possessing an exactly equal claim with 
all other men, to share religious privileges. Here 
the poor man, who at other times, submissively 
bends before the powerful of his own species, who 
scarcely can lift up his head among them, learns 
and feels that he is equal with the highest, that he 
is equally with them a disciple of Christ, and his 
friend also, if he strive to deserve the title. Here 
then let no pride, no presumption, no hatred, envy, 
malice, nor any uncharitableness find entrance. 
Here, while men meet around the table of their 
Lord, all participating in the blessings he brought, 
let them feel as brethren, let them love as brethren. 
If Christians encourage these dispositions in cele- 
brating the communion, it will fulfil the intentions 
of its founder: love to God, to their Saviour, and 
to mankind, will be mingled in their hearts, and 
will strengthen each other. If the social affections 
are connected with piety at a season like this, they 
will probably be permanently associated. At other 
times, while enjoying the delights of friendship, or 



lord's supper. 117 

any social pleasures, the remembrance that we have 
before joined in the commemoration of Christian 
blessings, will add a new charm to our intercourse, 
a new tie to our friendship. When we see the poor 
man suffering' need, the recollection that we have 
sat with him at the table of the Lord will prompt 
us to consider him as a brother, and as such to 
relieve him. In the same manner our piety will be 
purer and warmer, if exercised while our hearts 
are glowing with the delightful feelings of sympa- 
thy and love. If we would then fulfil the intentions 
of him who so loved mankind as to lay down his 
life for them, we must attend at his table with 
feelings and dispositions of love, like unto his own. 
We must fear to approach while any angry feelings 
remain in our hearts, lest we should eat and drink 
unworthily. If we have ought against any, if we 
are not at peace with all our brethren, let us en- 
deavour to be reconciled, to forget all animosity, to 
sooth down all emotions of passion, that nothing 
may disturb the holy joy, the peaceful calm, which 
ought to possess our souls. This is the most 
necessary preparation, for if our hearts are glowing 
with the pure love of humankind, the service they 
offer must be right and acceptable. 

But we may make this service yet more beneficial 
to us by regarding the apostle's injunction to exa- 



118 A TREATISE ON THE 

mine ourselves, and " so to eat of that bread, and 
drink of that cup" : to examine whether we go to 
the celebration of this rite, with serious, thoughtful, 
and grateful minds : to examine whether we have 
convinced ourselves of the object and end of the 
institution ; whether we have broken any of the 
resolutions we formed, or disregarded any of the 
restraints we imposed on ourselves at our last 
attendance ; and if we have, to repent and pray 
for pardon, before we venture to renew those reso- 
lutions : if not, to go with satisfied^ thankful hearts, 
to strive after greater progress in holiness, by con- 
templating the perfections of our great exemplar. 

While there, we should encourage sentiments of 
piety and love, which shall remain with us after we 
have again entered upon the busy scenes of life. 
The true Shepherd, instructing the Pastors of his 
flock in their duty, by his own example calling 
his sheep to follow him, and promising never to 
forsake them, and guiding them to the waters of 
life, — is a picture which should not only excite 
transient emotions on an occasional review of it, 
but should be engraven on our hearts, to remain 
for ever there, to influence our affections and 
conduct at all times. 

Thus we shall not eat and drink condemnation 
to ourselves ; but, by joining in the feast with the 



lord's supper. 119 

views and feelings of true disciples, with the views 
and feelings which Jesus intended it to encourage, 
and which he would approve, we shall confirm 
ourselves in the love of his character, and rever- 
ence of his perfections ; and shall carry out with 
us into the world, his words engraven on our me- 
mories, and his holiness impressed on our hearts. 
Thus we may become his more faithful disciples, 
and hope in time to join the number of his friends. 
What christian does not desire this I And what 
follower of Jesus would not wish to seize every 
means of fulfilling his intentions, of attending on 
his ordinances, of making use of every assistance 
that he has granted to his disciples, for their im- 
provement in holiness ? Let all, then, who have 
not hitherto attended his communion, think deeply, 
earnestly, and diligently, why they have not done 
it; and let them not dare through thoughtlessness, 
indolence, or any other sinful motive, to neglect 
the solemn ordinance instituted by Jesus, univer- 
sally established among his first followers, and 
declared by his Apostle, and by this universal 
custom, to be obligatory on all his disciples, as 
long as the world endures. 

THE END. 



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